


The Price of War

by BossCar



Series: Calvana Region [1]
Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Banter, Depression, Dirty Jokes, Dirty Talk, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Flirting, Fluff, Friendship, Humor, I Made Myself Cry, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Military Backstory, No Sex, No Smut, Older Characters, Original Pokemon Region, Other, Past Abuse, Past Suicidal Thoughts, Past Violence, Platonic Female/Male Relationships, Pokemon Battles, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Revisions, Romance, Self-Acceptance, Self-Esteem Issues, Slice of Life, Teasing, Trauma
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-24
Updated: 2021-01-17
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:54:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 21
Words: 116,715
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27177500
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BossCar/pseuds/BossCar
Summary: Valen was once a happy and outgoing person. Nowadays, he's a bitter and distrustful person with a bleak outlook of himself and the world. He'll embark on a journey to recovery, rediscovering what he's lost due to his mentality and lifestyle. Perhaps his past can lead to a brighter future. Perhaps one day, he'll accept his strengths.Rosa's a very high-spirited and lively person. She's got big dreams, plus she wants to explore and have fun. However, elements from her past and Valen’s current mental state will throw everything off course for her. Nevertheless, Rosa's not giving up, and she's not leaving Valen behind. Not now, not ever.
Relationships: Mei | Rosa/Original Male Character(s), Original Female Character/Original Male Character, Touko | Hilda/Original Male Character(s)
Series: Calvana Region [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2149509
Comments: 30
Kudos: 17





	1. Destined Reunion

**Author's Note:**

> IMPORTANT:  
> Revisions to posted chapters include changing, adding, and removing bits. The A/N notes would probably be really long if I attempted to remember and mention every single revision. Scenes might be expanded due to ideas I get after the chapter's been posted, something may need tweaking, something may need to be cut, and so on. I'm also working on improving descriptive writing and using different types of words, such as different verbs and adjectives. 
> 
> While this is set in the game universe, it takes many cues from the anime and deviates a lot. There may be some less direct Adventures manga influence as well. 
> 
> Pokémon won’t be limited to four moves. However, it’ll usually cap out at about six to eight moves per Pokémon. Also, exact numerical values for HP, PP, Levels, and stats won’t be brought up either, but related terms like health will come up. 
> 
> Due to the number of major characters, I decided to do away with nicknames. Also, it felt awkward having two Pokémon in one sentence, but only one has a nickname. 
> 
> Lastly, In any case, I hope you like the fic. It went in a different direction than I had planned, but I'm pleased with the end result nevertheless. My writing's improved since this was posted, and I'm even building up a writer's library for writing this fic and future fics.

West of the Orre region lies the Calvana region, which is enormous enough to fit multiple other regions into its borders, such as Kanto, Johto, Unova, and Kalos. The largest and most famous city within the region is Angel City, located in the southwest corner of the region. Valen Barsotti lives among the megacity's population. In his mind, war veterans don't exist among them when they return home from combat. In his mind, nobody cares about war veterans.

* * *

With his hands in the pockets of his black leather pants, a scowling Valen saunters through a packed sidewalk in downtown Angel City. As he passes rows of towering skyscrapers, Valen’s expression is one of cold indifference. People who happens to look into the dead gaze of his dark blue eyes are unnerved. Adding to his unnerving demeanor is the menacing eyes of a Salamence that decorate the gunmetal gray shirt underneath his black leather jacket. Much to Valen’s annoyance, he has to walk through a usually crowded area frequented by both locals and tourists, and he isn’t exactly a person who likes to be around tons of people. Valen wishes he had brought headphones to drown out the sound of sneakers and heels on the sidewalks, people talking and yelling in person or on their cell phones, vehicles beeping at the busy intersections, and other noises one would expect to hear within a bustling city block.

Then, Valen notices a billboard atop one of the skyscrapers. His eyes widen when he sees who's on the billboard. “It's....Melanie,” Valen murmurs. “It's been sometime since I've seen or spoken to her.” Melanie and Valen were close friends in their childhood, and well into their teens and young adulthood. Despite their past, Valen’s surprise only lasts for a brief moment, before he stares at the billboard with apathy and indifference. “We may have been best friends, but we’re completely different now,” Valen remarks, believing that Melanie would want nothing to do with him nowadays. “Honestly, I’d be lucky to even get five minutes to catch up with her.”

Valen continues to saunter, deeply annoyed over having to walk through a crowded sidewalk. One poor soul almost runs into Valen. Valen brushes off this encounter as he walks off, thinking about another aspect of his past. _“It’s been five years since I ditched my past persona. I do miss those days, but I’d prefer it if nobody recognizes me.”_

* * *

Unbeknownst to Valen, Melanie isn’t too far from his current location. She's currently residing within the middle floor of a luxury suite that happens to be on the same street that Valen is walking on the side of. Melanie sits on a brown, leather sofa, straightening out her elbow length, black hair that’s almost as straight as an arrow, However, grooming is not what’s on her mind—she’s searched for her childhood friend, but she's lucked out so far. “This guy's eluded me for weeks now,” Melanie laments as she glances at an old photo album that she's kept for years. “Not even Rosa's heard from him, so what's his deal? The only piece of information that I know is that he works for Dimitri Liniya as one of the ex-military guys and Pokémon Trainers he uses for private security, but that’s it.” Melanie stands up and straightens out her blue jean jacket, which matches her blue jeans and the azure shirt underneath. “I suppose moping around won’t help. Let’s see if Dimitri Liniya had some success with getting this guy to finally show up.”

Melanie glances towards a large window on her right, staring into the clear skies above. After about a minute has passed, Melanie turns away from the window and opens a wooden door that leads to a flight of stairs. “I better take the back entrance to avoid being surrounded,” Melanie sighs. “This gets really tiring sometimes. As if trying to find Valen wasn't tiring enough as is. Why does he have to be so good at hiding?”

* * *

Valen's arrived at Liniya Industries, and has been greeted by Dimitri Liniya within a monitor room. Liniya Co. is to Calvana what Sliph is to Kanto, and Devon is to Hoenn. However, Liniya Co. also makes equipment for the Calvana Armed Forces, as well as the region’s law enforcement agencies.

“You are quite reliable with coming to a job that can have frequent interaction,” Dimitri Liniya remarks as he adjusts his pearly white suit, which contrasts his dark red tie.

“Hmph, zip it and just consider it my way of saying thanks,” Valen grumbles as he stares at the large computer monitors. “You gave jobs to former soldiers, and it’s not easy adjusting back to civilian life after serving in the military. Not that most people give a shit about us in the first place.” Valen hasn’t missed a single day he started working here. He never talks about anything personal. It’s like all he knows is work and serious matters.

“It is the least I could do,” Dimitri admits with his left hand in the pocket of his pearly white dress pants. “However, we will have to cut this talk short; it seems that it was not just Cipher who paved the way for General Branko Pavlović’s regime.”

“Who else is responsible?” Valen asks, staring at the room's black walls as Dimitri brings up information on one of the large computer monitors.

“I do not have complete confirmation at this time, but as they were combing through the messages and calls between Cipher members and Pavlović’s private army, my analysts discovered that the names Team Rocket and The Kalos Connection made frequent appearances,” Dimitri explains. "I'm sure you're aware of the gang war between the Kalosian Mafia and The Kalos Connection many years back."

"Yeah, I am," Valen replies. “Cipher became Pavlović’s secret police afterwards. Many of them fled before they could be captured. We weren’t able to round as many of them up as I would have liked to.” Valen goes silent again, thinking, _“What Dimitri doesn’t know is that I swore an eye for eye for every victim of the regime. If I find any of these scumbags within my home region, I’ll exterminate each and every one of them. I have no remorse. Never had, never will.”_

“I do suspect that some may have infiltrated the seedy side of the region,” Dimitri replies, snapping Valen out of his morbid train of thought.

“Calvana invaded Orre due to the huge threat posed by that regime, plus Pavlović’s goons tried to hunt down defectors within our borders,” Valen remarks. “It would seem that the region-”

“As dangerous as this situation could potentially be, you must not fret on it,” Dimitri cuts Valen off. “You cannot spend your days solely focusing on what you could not have stopped by yourself in the first place, nor can you stop any of this by yourself.“

“What’re you saying?” Valen asks. “Not only is this important, but this is world’s too cold and cruel to be happy and have fun.”

“You are not the only one capable of handing such a situation,” Dimitri retorts. "You need to stop living such a serious life that revolves around focusing on the darker aspects of this world. This behavior is not healthy for you at all.”

“Just say it, already,” Valen demands, not wanting to talk about how he chooses to live his life. “Tell me what's going on. I don't have all day.”

“You do not know?” Dimitri asks, his eyebrows jumping upwards. “Your old friend has been attempting to figure out what is going on with you, even contacting me in person. Maybe it is time for-”

“Huh, she’s actually been asking about me?” Valen cuts Dimitri off, scratching his disheveled, spiky black hair that bear a faint resemblance to the spikes on a Gengar’s back. “I thought she’d be too preoccupied to have the time for me.”

“How were you a member of the military’s most elite unit, yet you remain this oblivious to certain things around you?” Dimitri sighs while placing his palm on his face, with the ends of his figures touching on part of his copper brown hair over his forehead.

”Hmph, you really think anybody actually misses me?” Valen scoffs, his stare emitting zero warmth. “How the hell do we know that she won't abandon me after one day?”

“Well, there is only one way to find out,” Dimitri retorts. “You do know that I have the power to make you take a vacation, right?”

“Fine, I’ll go see her, so tell her I said to wait in our old spot,” Valen grunts, still not seeing any point to this. However, Valen doesn’t want to be bossed around either, so he feels like he’s in a lose-lose situation. “Gah, if it was another girl, I’d think this was a set-up for a blind date for your television network.”

“Valen, I just formed the Liniya Network,” Dimitri replies. Television is something that Dimitri has wanted to get into for a while now, as the Liniya Corporation is always looking to expand its corporate empire.

“That increases the implications,” Valen grumbles. “This is such a pain in the ass.”

“I believe that you should get going,” Dimitri comments.

“Wait, why’d you tell me all of that if you were going to pull this shit on me?” Valen asks. "Why tell me this information in the first place, Dimitri?”

“It is still important information, and I never said that you do not need to know this,” Dimitri replies. “What you need to know is that you are nor the only person who can handle this, and yet you tend to act like you are.”

“I still don’t get it, because this is a severe matter,” Valen comments.

“That doesn’t change the fact that there are others who can handle it. Besides, would not be able to directly partake in such operations. Your mental health has not been in a good state,” Dimitri replies. “Valen, I’m not saying that you shouldn’t take this seriously, but you’ve lost something big. I want you to figure out what you’ve lost as a result of solely focusing on work.”

“Dimitri, what about these vile-“

“With all due respect, there are also people whom are better suited for such tasks than you are.”

"...Fine, I'll go see her now," Valen grumbles. "I already know that it's pointless, but what choice do I have?"

* * *

Melanie sits on a park bench in a quaint, quieter neighborhood that is a considerable distance away from downtown. This is the same neighborhood where both Valen and Melanie grew up in. As plants rustle in the wind, Melanie quietly waits for Valen, surrounded by people walking, laughing and talking. Melanie reminisces about her childhood and teenage years, noticing a pair of teenagers battling it out with a Druddigon and an Altaria. This sight makes Melanie nostalgic about the times Valen and her duked it out with their own dragons. _“Dimitri told me that Valen said to meet him at our old spot, so I assume-”_ Melanie’s train of thought is interrupted as she hears a familiar roar close by. Melanie glances upwards, noting that the roar was intimidating enough to accidentally scare off a flock of Pidgey and Pidgeotto. _“Hm? That sounds like a Salamence. Does that mean-”_ Another roar interrupts Melanie's train of thought as a Salamence comes into her line of sight. Once the dragon has landed, a group of kids marvel at this strong Pokémon.

Melanie’s mouth has already curved into a smile, as she’s noticed who’s slouching between the dragon's wings. After weeks of searching for him, her childhood friend’s finally showed himself.

Melanie’s brown eyes lit up as she watches jumps off his Salamence. Then, one of Melanie’s Pokémon lets himself out of his Poké Ball. The Pokémon in question is her Dragonite. The two dragons are happy to see each other, giving each other a claw bump. These two dragons go way back, having had a close friendship and a friendly rivalry for many years.

“They haven’t seen each other in a while, so let em hang out. After all, it looks like they still have their dragon bromance,” Valen tells Melanie. As he sits next to her on the bench, Valen watches his Salamence and Melanie’s Dragonite playfully arguing over who’s the cooler dragon. Dragonite lets out a lowered cry, telling Valen’s Salamence that he's cooler. Salamence laughs it off, letting out a lowered roar to tell his old friend to keep dreaming, as he's the cooler dragon.

As the dragons playfully quarrel, Valen glances towards Melanie. “I still like this park. It’s quiet and relaxing, compared to the fast pace of downtown," Valen admits. "I always liked the old style of architecture here, since this area was first constructed and first inhabited in the late 18th century.”

“We made a lot of memories here,” Melanie remarks, sporting a warm smile as she's overcome with nostalgic, happy memories. One such memory involves Valen jumping for joy when his Shelgon evolved into Salamence. “I’m happy that you remembered this spot.”

"I believe you have questions for me, albeit I thought you’d be much more happy to see me,” Valen remarks, silently pondering about how this reunion will turn out.

“Of course I am happy to see you again, and yes I do have questions!” Melanie exclaims, scowling as she glares at Valen in annoyance. “First of all, why were you so damn difficult to find?!

“I dunno, why was I so difficult to find?” Valen retorts, slouching as he stares blankly at the sky. “I’m not a magician, you know. I’m just a guy who likes to be very discreet.”

“Oh, like I’m going to accept that reason!” Melanie grumbles. “Give me a better answer!”

"Do you think I give a fuck?" Valen barks, closing his eyes and folding his arms. “Accept it or don’t accept it. Do whatever the hell you want.”

"H-Hey, don't be so rude!" Melanie shouts, furrowing her eyebrows. "I've been looking for your ass for weeks!"

"Huh, you were indeed looking for me,” Valen nonchalantly observes with his right thumb and index finger on his chin. “Interesting, so I guess my hunch was incorrect.”

“Hey!” Melanie blurts out loudly, clenching her teeth as her eyes bulge out. “Don’t act like it’s not a big deal, got it?!”

"Don't give me commands.” Valen rebukes. "You're not my commanding officer in special forces."

Melanie's noticed that the two dragons have been looking at them, along with several other onlookers and Pokémon. Valen's rudeness really irks her, but she decides it's best that she calms down, hoping that Valen will too. “Sorry, I got a little carried away,” Melanie admits. “It’s been a while, that’s all. Moving on, you said special forces. I'd like to know at least a little bit about that, assuming everything isn't top secret."

Valen may be very distrustful, but he decides to answer her question to an extent. “I'm sure you know that the war was the first one this region's fought in three decades. My tasks were search and rescue, disaster relief, counterterrorism, fighting Pokémon poachers, and so on," Valen replies. "They didn’t even need me as Calvana had no major conflicts that needed all hands on deck."

"I remember," Melanie affirms. "That's why you were able to travel to Unova and other regions."

"I was Third Battalion Infantry, so I was going to be part of the third unit deployed to Orre," Valen explains. "However, just before the war broke out, my commanding officer unexpectedly wrote a letter of recommendation for me to join the SSF, or Shadow Strike Force. I can’t give much more detailed information than that. We weren’t even allowed to use our real names.”

 _“That’s the unit that found the mass graveyards,”_ Melanie thinks to herself, her eyebrows angled downwards while letting out a heavy sigh. _“No wonder you changed so drastically. It doesn't help that a number of those evil people are still on the run.”_

Valen reveals the inside of his jacket, showing Melanie a gold medal shaped like a fang, and a purple medal shaped like a shield. “Compared to you, these are my only big achievements; the Fang of Valor, and the Purple Shield. The latter isn’t exactly one to be proud about, at least for me it isn’t.”

Melanie winces at the sight of Valen’s Purple Shield "Why'd....why'd you keep that a secret?" Why didn’t you tell me you got hurt?” Melanie bows her head, wondering what else he’s hiding from her. _"Rosa will be so heartbroken if she ever finds out about this."_

"Relax, I made a full recovery from those wounds,” Valen replies. “The scars are still there, though.”

"...At least tell me what happened....please?" Melanie winces, nearly on the verge of tears. Melanie places her left hand over her paining stomach. “Please...please tell me....how you got wounded.”

“...My unit ran into a machine gun nest near Pyrite Town,” Valen says. Valen points to his Salamence, stating, “This guy took out that nest after I got hit multiple times, and all of my Pokémon made sure my unit got me to the medics safely. Orre was a hellhole for nearly everybody deployed there. It doesn't matter to most people, because nobody cares about us.”

“...You saw a lot of horrible things in Orre, huh?” Melanie asks in a brittle tone, still feeling pain within her stomach. _"I've heard about war veterans becoming gangsters, and war veterans taking their own lives. I can't even blame him for feeling this way, but there are people who do care. I hope he realizes that eventually."_

“There’s quite an interesting dynamic between us,” Valen states, having deciding that he doesn’t want to talk about Orre anymore.

“What do you mean?” Melanie asks, blinking in confusion.

“You blossomed and I withered, and yet here you are,” Valen somberly replies. Then, Valen's mouth curves into a faint smile. “You could be hanging out with big time celebrities, but you passed all that up to find a nobody like me. Heh, I can’t say I was expecting that.”

 _“A nobody? Is that what he thinks of himself?”_ Melanie laments to herself. _“Is that why he didn’t bother to reach out on his own?, not even to Rosa?”_

“Thanks,” Valen says with a hint of gratitude, interrupting Melanie’s train of thought. “You’re still the one person who’d never gave up on me. That means a lot to me.”

“Hey, anytime,” Melanie replies in a warm tone, her eyes gleaming with joy. “However, now that we finally met up again, I expect to see you again very soon, big guy.”

Valen closes his eyes, not wanting Melanie see his eyes have moistened up. He's moved that his childhood friend went to the trouble of looking for him, and he accepts that he was at least a little bit wrong. However, Valen chooses to keep this feeling a secret. "We'll see. I'm not a social person anymore,” Valen tells Melanie, re-opening his eyes as he stands up and walks towards his Salamence. “I should be getting back to Dimitri now. He let me leave work for this."

"Wait, can I ask you one last question for today?" Melanie asks.

Valen nods, stating, "Alright, go ahead."

"I mentioned Unova, which made me remember...her," Melanie somberly explains. "The last time we spoke prior to today was around the last time you spoke to her, but the two of us have stayed in touch. She's asked me about you, but I didn't know where you were."

"...You're talking about Rosa, aren't you?" Valen lets out a heavy sigh, keeping his head turned away from Melanie as he's on the verge of tears. "I'm sure that she hates me now. She'd be justified in doing so after what I did."

"I don't think so," Melanie gently replies, sporting a somber frown. "She really wants to hear from you again. I can that tell she misses you a lot."

"....She hates me. She's just keeping it to herself. That's just the reality of this cruel world. Nothing I can do about it," Valen laments, shedding a few tears as a feeling of heaviness overcomes him. "Anyway, I'll see you around." Salamence takes flight, sporting a concerned expression over his trainer’s current demeanor. Melanie and her Dragonite wave good bye as they watch them leave. Then, Dragonite turns his head to see how his trainer’s doing.

“I’m fine,” Melanie reassures her Dragonite, but she’s got an expression of uncertainty on her face. “Should I be happy that I finally saw him again, or should I be sad that he’s no longer the person he used to be? It’s an odd situation to be in,” Melanie admits, sporting a frown. Melanie sheds a few tears, feeling like someone just put a heavy load on her. "That poor girl....I can't believe he actually thinks that Rosa hates him....Rosa of all people. I feel bad for Valen too. He seems....really depressed. He doesn't have much of a self-esteem either."

Melanie wipes away her tears and goes silent for a brief moment, as Dragonite looks on, wondering what his trainer's going to do. Then, Melanie smiles and forms a fist with her right hand. “I guess it’s up to us to bring back the old Valen, isn’t it?" Melanie turns to look at her Dragonite. "I’m sure you want another duel between dragons as well.” Dragonite's expression turns into one of confidence upon hearing his trainer utter these words. “Hopefully, his battle loving side’s still in there."

Then, Melanie hears her phone ding, and she goes to check her text messages. Her eyes become watery again when she reads the text message. “I don’t know why Valen doesn’t understand that Rosa’s not mad at him,” Melanie murmurs, letting out a deep sigh as she replies to the text. Then, Melanie faintly smiles when she sees Rosa's reply. "She still strongly believes that Valen will reach out to her eventually. Maybe I should have that same faith in Valen. He's my childhood friend, after all."

* * *

“So, how did it go?” Dimitri asks Valen, slightly worried that Valen's screwed everything up.

“It seems to have gone well,” Valen admits, causing Dimitri to breath a sigh in relief. "However, I couldn’t tell her about the other job I have, at least not yet.”

“That is some surprisingly decent social progress on your part for once,” Dimitri acknowledges with a faint chuckle. “Moving on, we have heard a rumor that the leader of The Kalos Connection plans to move operations here due to too much heat by Kalos law enforcement.”

“So, we've now identified a high-level target?” Valen asks. _”Happiness? Fun? This shit’s too serious for either of those things. Why doesn’t he get it?"_

“Yes, and his name is Francis Blanchard. On the surface, Francis is the owner of an international chain of restaurants, which is a rather convenient way to launder the money the Pavlović regime gave him,” Dimitri replies. “Both him and I just happened to have been invited to same gala, albeit I am rather suspicious about its origins. I am not sure if I shall attend, as it may be too risky."

"When does this gala take place?" Valen asks.

“Two weeks from now." Dimitri feels a thickness in his throat; it's actually taking place in one week. Dimitri said two weeks in the hopes that by then, Melanie will have gotten Valen to realize that a little bit of joy and fun in his life wouldn't hurt.

“Oh come on, what am I supposed to do for one week?” Valen groans. "It's not like I have any close friends these days. Even if Melanie and I do hang out, it won't be easy to reconcile our old friendship.”

"Valen, I just said that I am not sure that I will attend," Dimitri chastises, his tone becoming more angry as his eyebrow angle downwards. "Even if I did, your mental health issues mean that you are in no position for such a task. I take back what I said earlier, because even intel might be too much for you."

Valen bows his head, his eyebrows curving downwards as his eyes become watery. "Sorry....I just....I just can't accept that I can't do it anymore."

"You're confused," Dimitri points out, letting out a somber sigh. "I would have moved you to another division within the company by now, but I have to leave you here until you're ready."

"I doubt I'll ever be ready," Valen laments.

"Eventually, you will have to accept that you are not in any condition to be pursuing such manners."

"...Sure, whatever." Valen grimaces. 

"Also, I had to surprise you earlier. If you knew in advance, you would make it even harder for me," Dimitri admits. "I apologize for the trickery, but I had to catch you off guard."

"....So, what now?" Valen asks. "....What do I do now?"

“....Remember, I do have the power to make you take an indefinite vacation," Dimitri tells Valen. “Or, do I have to call General Barsotti?”

Valen rolls his eyes, grumbling, “Fine, I’ll take a vacation, but at least you unintentionally reminded me to call my dad.”

“Somebody has to remind you to do your least favorite thing in the world, which is talking to people," Dimitri jokes.

"Be quiet," Valen retorts.

”Not happening,” Dimitri counters. "Now, I believe it is time for your vacation to start."

“Sure, whatever,” Valen grumbles, walking out of the monitor room. “Pain in my ass.”

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What did you think of the first chapter? Which OC sticks out to you the most? I want the reader to be able to follow Valen's journey step by step. I hope I succeed in doing that. Other characters won't be neglected either.
> 
> Angel City’s the Pokémon Los Angeles. Orre’s based off of Arizona. The original region in this fic’s based on California, Oregon, Washington, Nevada, and Idaho. However, there's European influences as well, especially in the architecture.
> 
> Revisions made to this chapter include cuts, extended dialogue, dialogue/text alterations, more details, and mentions of Rosa.


	2. The Nobleman

Valen’s sitting on the a park bench within a different part of Angel City. As the sounds of a splashing fountain, people talking, kids playing, and bird Pokémon chirping surround him, Valen’s in the middle of a phone call. “How’s the rebuilding of Orre going, dad?” Valen asks through his cell phone’s speaker.

“Surprisingly well, given the circumstances,” General Alexander Barsotti replies. “While the scars, blood, and tears won’t fade away, I believe that this region will thrive now that the regime's gone.” 

“If only I could’ve saved more lives....or even could’ve done something beforehand-”

“You were dedicated to your duties, but you are too hard on yourself,” General Barsotti points out. “As much as it hurts, there was little we could have done to stop this regime’s rise to power. My own grandpa said that war's been an ugly sight, and war will always be an ugly sight."

“I suppose you’re right," Valen replies, feeling a faint hint of of regret. Valen glances upwards, performing a salute in honor of his great-grandpa. _"You were born in 1909, and you were present for my eighteenth birthday."_

“With that said, I'm very proud of you for going out of your way to rescue your comrades, civilians and Pokémon from enemy forces,” General Barsotti commends. “Even when wounded in a surprise attack, you still kept fighting.”

“I just did what I had to do,” Valen replies, faintly smiling. “Thank you, though.”

“Hopefully, I’ll see you soon,” General Barsotti says. “Make sure you actually remember to visit your mother, assuming she’s not busy with her Pokémon research.”

“I’ll see you whenever you come home, and I’ll visit mom tomorrow." After the call has ended, Valen lies down on a bench, noting that the area seems to have gotten quieter. He can hear the splashing fountain more so than any chatter. _"Man, what the hell am I supposed to do outside of work?"_ Valen's nap doesn’t last longer than several minutes. Melanie's found him, much to his dismay.

“Hey, lazy boy!” Melanie uses the human version of Hyper Voice on a resting Valen, emitting a bossy aura as she places her hands on her hips. “Get up!”

”Guess I can’t hide forever,” Valen mutters to himself with his eyes closed, annoyed that Melanie's glaring at him like he forgot to washes the dishes and clean his room. “Gah, this is a huge pain in the ass.”

"I said get up!" Melanie demands. "You're so difficult to find, so don't make this harder for me!"

“Why do you have to shout when you’re right next to me?” Valen grumbles as he sits up. “Also, why are you calling me a boy? I’m twenty four, not twelve.”

“You have no time for a nap!” Melanie scolds. “You’re coming with me to one of the city’s public battle areas!”

“Why me?” Valen groans. "Also, how the hell did you find me?"

“Just shut up and come along!” Melanie exclaims, narrowing her eyes as she fixates an angry glare at Valen.

"You shut up," Valen barks, breaking eye contact with Melanie.

"You first!" Melanie screams, her lips curling in disgust.

“Whatever, I don’t like being around tons of people if I don’t have to,” Valen barks, closing his eyes as he lies back down on the bench. 

“I liked it better when you weren’t so antisocial,” Melanie admits with exasperation, her eyebrows curving downwards.

“That was then, and this is now,” Valen retorts. "There’s going to be a crowd of challengers for sure once someone notices you."

“You don’t think I know that?!” Melanie chastises, furrowing her brow. “Get your lazy ass up and give me some backup!”

“Hm, well-“ Valen begins to speak as he re-opens his eyes.

“Well what?” Melanie piques up. “Come on, say it.”

“Since you actually went looking for me, I’ll repay the favor and tag along,” Valen concedes, much to her delight.

“Let’s go!” Melanie happily exclaims.

 _”Pain in my ass,”_ Valen mentally grumbles, closing his eyes as he stands up. Much to Valen's surprise, Melanie wraps her arms around his neck, sweeping him into a hug.

"I think you need one of these," Melanie says, sporting a tender smile. "I should have done this yesterday."

Valen doesn't know what to say, but he can't help but sport the faintest of smiles as he feels sense of calm and warmth within him.

Melanie lets go of Valen, stating. "You won't ditch me that easily, so get used to me being around again."

"Hmph, It's not like I have a choice," Valen replies, sporting a faint smirk.

Melanie lets go of Valen, saying, "I'm really happy to finally get to hang out with you again."

"Even though I'm not a social person anymore?" Valen asks.

"You act like I won't make you come out of the house more often." Melanie playfully flicks Valen on his forehead.

"I'd like to see you try," Valen jokes, causing Melanie to chuckle.

Melanie's phone dings, and she takes her phone out to check who texted her. "Rosa wants to chat, and she wants me to tell you that she said hi."

Valen's eyes widen, rapidly turning his head towards Melanie. "W-What?!"

"I'm still friends with Rosa, remember?" Melanie asks, sporting a soft smile. "Rosa's not the type to feel down, but she really misses you. I hope you realize that soon."

".....You're a fool," Valen coldly replies, his stare emitting zero warmth. "She's just being polite. She hates me."

Melanie's mouth slightly falls open as she feels a slight shiver down her spine. "That's not true! She still loves you!”

"I don't want to talk about this anymore." Valen coldly interrupts. "Do I make myself clear, Melanie?"

"S-Sure, Valen." Melanie winces. "I....won't bring it up....again."

"It's not your fault," Valen somberly replies. "It's mine."

* * *

“This place feels bigger than I remember it being,” Valen observes as he looks around the large outdoor arena, having just exited out of the indoor lobby area with Melanie besides him. “They seemed to have added more to the lobby area as well.” The arena in question actually has three separate fields open to the public for Pokémon battling. Each has his own entrance, and Valen and Melanie have entered field number one.

“See, crowds aren’t so bad,” Melanie points out, as there are a lot of people present, both trainers and non-trainers. Many trainers have their Pokémon out as well, with Valen keenly eyeing a male trainer's Incineroar. “Hey, don’t pretend that I’m not here! Look at me, you doofus!” Melanie scolds Valen, but Valen could care less about that, or the fact that Melanie just shot him a disgusted glance.

“Hmph, don’t get the wrong idea.” Valen shifts his attention to the wear and tear on the battle arena. “I don’t remember it being this worn out, but it looks like the city has been maintaining it well.”

“Melanie Merced, we challenge you!” A male trainer blurts out, catching Melanie’s attention, While Valen remains disinterested, Melanie looks behind her and sees that ten Pokémon trainers want to face her in battle. “We never expected to see someone like you here, so let’s do this!”

 _“Just how many do I need to battle?”_ Melanie slightly sweats.

“Hey, who’s that scary looking guy next to her?” A female trainer among the the group of ten asks. “I don’t recognize him.”

“Hey, this scary looking guy happens to be my friend, so show him some respect!” Melanie furiously claps back, almost evolving into a Primeape over the unneeded remark towards her friend. Then, Melanie has a twinkle in her eyes as her facial expression turns into one of amusement. “Why don’t you face him instead? If you can beat him, you can battle me. If you can beat him, that is,” Melanie chuckles. _"Alright big guy, let's see if you're as strong as I remember."_

”Whatever, you’re lucky that I got time to kill,” Valen says half-heartedly. “It’ll be a one versus one battle with each of you. In addition, if just one of you can beat me, you all get to battle her.”

“We accept!” Another male trainer exclaims.

“You seem suddenly interested in this, Valen,” Melanie observes.

“It was your idea,” Valen points out. “Also, a knight has to protect his queen, doesn’t he?”

 _“Is he trying to get me flustered again?”_ Melanie rolls her eyes. _“I won’t fall for it this time!”_

* * *

After having defeating nine of the ten trainers with his Golisopod, Valen is battling the last trainer and his Hitmonlee. This is the same trainer who challenged Melanie on behalf of all ten trainers.

“All I have to do is beat you in order to battle her!” The male trainer proclaims, much to Valen’s amusement.

“You fool, don’t you get it?!” Valen sneers with his arms folded, sporting a wide, cocky grin on his face. “None of you ever stood a chance against me, let alone her!”

“Mega Kick!” The trainer commands his Hitmonlee, who charges at Golisopod.

“How pathetic,” Valen snickers as he closes his eyes. “Finish off this loser with X-Scissor.” Golisopod lets out a robotic, maniacal cackle as he crosses his armored arms to form a x shape. Golisopod's arms glow light blue, and before Hitmonlee can even get a chance to strike, Golisopod charges at it, brutally slamming into it with his crossed arms. 

“No way!” The male trainer exclaims in disbelief as his Hitmonlee falls to the ground in defeat.

“Did you see that?!” A female onlooker exclaims. “He took down ten trainers with just one Pokémon!”

“Who is this guy?!” A male onlooker shouts. “He’s terrifyingly strong!” 

“That should keep you free from challengers for the time being,” Valen tells Melanie as he recalls Golisopod back into his Poké Ball. “You know, I could get used to being known as an unknown trainer.”

“Did you really just beat all of them with just your Golisopod?!” Melanie asks, raising her eyebrows. _" I think he might have gotten even stronger!"_

“Eh, they weren’t strong at all,” Valen counters with his eyes still closed. “Why can’t you attract trainers who could actually pose a challenge?”

“Hey, I don’t choose who I attract!” Melanie claps back.

”Why did I ask you that question? All I heard was blah blah blah nag nag nag,” Valen mocks. "Even though she hates me, this is why you'll never top Rosa."

Before a red faced Melanie can unleash a tirade upon an indifferent Valen, an accented voice calls out to them. “Perhaps I can be that challenge?” Valen re-opens open his eyes upon hearing these words. Both Melanie and Valen look around, perplexed over who just called out to them. Then, Valen and Melanie are approached by a male trainer around their age, and Valen takes immediate notice of his chalky gray, Victorian style attire. _“His clothes and shoes probably costs more than half of Dimitri’s entire corporation,"_ Valen thinks to himself.

“Hey, aren’t you that one guy who’s the heir of the Bennington noble family?” Melanie asks. “Arthur, right?”

“Yes, I am Arthur Bennington,” Arthur introduces himself as he bows. “It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

“The Bennington family is quite prominent in both Calvana and Galar, so I’m surprised to see you around these parts,” Melanie notes. “After all, you’re not an ordinary guy of our age group.”

“Well, being from a wealthy and prestigious family is not all it's cracked up to be,” Arthur sheepishly admits, placing his left hand on the front of his short, ash blonde hair. “From keeping my hair as neatly comes and tidy like what you are seeing now, to those rubbish violin and piano lessons as a kid in Galar, it can be rather hectic, whether the tasks are simple or complex.”

“That sounds like a stringent lifestyle,” Melanie remarks.

“Valen, you said the knight must protect his queen, which is quite valiant of you,” Arthur states with a twinkle in his cerulean eyes, snapping Valen back into focus. “Thus, I shall honor that decree and challenge the knight first.”

“Hey now, he only said that to mess with me!” Melanie counters, fixating an annoyed glance at Valen.

“Actually, I was being serious,” Valen admits with his eyes closed and his arms folded.

Melanie’s eyes widen, asking, “W-What?! You a-actually meant that?!”

Valen yawns, replying, “Nah, I just felt like messing with you twice.”

”S-Seriously?!" Melanie exclaims.

“Pardon me, but is she your girlfriend?” Arthur asks Valen.

“Nah, but she acts like my nagging wife,” Valen bemoans. “If you can defeat me in a Pokémon battle, you can take her off my hands for a date if you want.”

“Valen, you giant doofus!” Melanie interjects with a scowl, forming fists with both of her hands. “I’m right here next to you!”

“I can both see and hear that, Melanie,” Valen retorts. “You're stronger than me, so if he beats me, he's probably around your level."

“First of all, I'm not interested in a relationship!” Melanie blurts out as her eyes widen in annoyance. “Second of all, stop acting like you're an amateur when you defeated ten trainers with just one Pokémon!"

“You made it through the grueling tournament structure of our region’s league, while I haven’t,” Valen counters, except Melanie already knows that he’s blatantly lying.

“Pardon the intrusion, but shall we battle, Valen?” Arthur chimes in before Melanie can say anything in response.

 _"This dunce downplayed his successes,"_ Melanie thinks to herself. _“Why's he putting himself down like that?"_

“Sorry, I got a little distracted by my pretend nagging wife,” Valen says, pointing back at Melanie. “Let’s do this.”

 _“Pretend nagging wife?”_ Melanie blinks. _“Trying to understand him isn’t easy.”_

* * *

Valen and Arthur stand at opposite ends of the battle arena. “You ready?” Valen asks to Arthur as they both hold a Poké Ball in their right hands.

“Let this battle commence,” Arthur says, eager to see Valen’s strength for himself.

“Salamence, you’re up.” Valen presses the button on his Poké Ball to let his dragon out. Immediately, the menacing, three colored dragon lets out a mighty roar that sends shockwaves through the ground and air.

“Looks like I made the right choice,” Arthur confidently replies upon seeing the dragon. Arthur presses the button on his Poké Ball to his Pokémon out, which is Grimmsnarl. Salamence and Grimmsnarl eye each other fiercely, as the imp-like Fairy/Dark type lets out an slightly eerie howl.

“A smart choice, but do you really think that having a type advantage means your Grimmsnarl is guaranteed a victory against my Salamence?” Valen questions.

“Maybe, or maybe not,” Arthur admits with a confident smile. “Let us see right now! Use Dazzling Gleam!” A rainbow aura of light envelops Grimmsnarl, who uses the aura to launch a giant ray beam towards Kratos.

“Counter with Flamethrower,” Valen commands. Salamence launches a reddish orange stream of fire towards the rainbow colored ray. Both attacks collide, causing a small explosion as they cancel each other out.

“Aerial Ace,” Valen commands. Salamence flaps his wings and takes flight as white aura of energy surrounds Salamence. Then, Salamence charges at Grimmsnarl with blinding speed, hitting Grimmsnarl within milliseconds and sending it stumbling backwards.

“Ice Punch!” Grimmsnarl regains his footing, and forms a fist with its left hand. Grimmsnarl’s fist glows icy blue and it strikes Kratos in his face, sending the flying dragon careening to the ground sideways, causing the ground underneath to crack. Salamence manages to stand back up, but with his eyes closed as he contends with the severe damage dealt from the Ice-type attack. 

_“This Pokémon is quite powerful,"_ Valen thinks to himself.

“Use Ice Punch again,” Arthur commands. Once again, Grimmsnarl’s fist glows icy blue and it strikes Salamence again, sending it reeling from additional damage alongside the damage dealt by the first Ice Punch. However, despite his Pokémon taking two direct hits from a quadruple effective attack and clearly struggling to pull itself back together, Valen seems unbothered.

“Come on, Salamence. You’ve been in far more serious and dangerous dilemmas,” Valen sternly reminds with his arms folded. "Are you gonna let those Ice Punches incapacitate you just like that, or are you gonna continue to fight like a soldier?” Salamence still contends with the major damage, but manages to opens his eyes and glare menacingly at Grimmsnarl, letting out a ground shaking roar. “That’s my boy,” Valen commends with a slight smile of approval.

“Two Ice Punches in a row and it is still raring to go?!” Arthur asks in disbelief. “This Salamence is more powerful than I had anticipated!”

“Come on, launch another attack!” Valen sneers at Arthur. “Hahahahahahahaha, going to give up already?! I thought you said you could be that challenge!"

“Grrrr...Darkness Lariat!” Grimmsnarl emanates purplish black energy all over its body. Then, Grimmsnarl holds outs it arms and beginning spinning rapidly like a tornado towards Kratos.

“Hold it back,” Valen commands. Salamence hasn’t fully shaken off the damage from the pair of Ice Punch attacks. Nevertheless, Salamence stands up on his hind claws and uses his front claws in an attempt to hold of Grimmsnarl’s Darkest Lariat attack. Salamence roars as he severely struggles to hold off Darkness Lariat, sweating and moving backwards several feet.

“Interesting,” Arthur murmurs to himself as his Grimmsnarl keeps pushing Salamence backwards.

“Will this actually work?” Melanie nervously looks on.

“Don’t give in,” Valen encourages Salamence , who responds with a slight roar. Just as it looks like the attack is going to hit, Salamence able to avoid taking most of the damage from the attack as eventually, Grimmsnarl stops spinning. “Use Hydro Pump,” Valen commands with a smirk.

“Huh, Hydro Pump?!” Arthur is stunned as Salamence fire a powerful jet stream of water from his mouth towards Grimmsnarl in very close proximity. “Salamence can learn Hydro Pump?!” Arthur blurts out as Grimmsnarl gets hits, careening backwards as a result.

“My mom’s a Pokémon researcher who specializes in rare type combinations, ability rarities, and move rarities among different species of Pokémon,” Valen explains. “Hydro Pump within the Bagon line is one of those rare move.”

“Using an unconventional method of countering an attack, and using a rare move for this species of Pokémon, eh?” Arthur sports with a confident smile. “Challenging you was definitely worth it, mate.” Salamence and Grimmsnarl let out a slight roar and a murmuring grunt to show each other respect.

“You’re strong, Arthur,” Valen mutters to himself while looking down with a faint chuckle.

“Hm?” Arthur notes Valen’s apparent change in behavior.

“Heh heh heh, you’re definitely strong. “ Salamence looks back at his trainer with a wide smirk, sensing Valen’s sudden change in demeanor. Valen looks up with a excited grin on his face, his pulse increasing at a rapid pace. “It’s been sometime since I enjoyed a Pokémon battle!”

“You are really getting into it,” Arthur observes. “I knew you would be a formidable opponent, and I am pleased that my assumption was correct.”

“Let’s see if you can defeat me!” Valen exclaims with excitement as Salamence lets out a mighty roar.

“Mate, be careful what you wish for,” Arthur counters as Grimmsnarl confidently grins. “It might come true.”

Upon seeing Valen like this, Melanie’s eyes widen as she steps back. “Valen, you-“ Melanie begins to murmur to herself. Then, Melanie has a vivid mental flashback of her and Valen when they were younger, having a Pokémon battle between Salamence and Dragonite when they were a Shelgon and a Dragonair. Melanie remembers that Valen had the exact same grin when battling all those years ago.

Returning her focus to the battle in the present, Melanie silently beams with jubilation. _“You dunce, you can’t fool me all the time,”_ Melanie thinks to herself. _“Stop trying to pretend you’ve fully_ _changed, because you’re still the same in a Pokémon battle. I bet you want to see Rosa again too, but you won't admit it.”_

“Use Dragon Claw,” Valen commands, much to everyone’s confusion, including both of the battling Pokémon. “Trust me,” Valen tells his Salamence. Despite hesitating, Salamence's right claw glows bluish green and Salamence charges at Grimmsnarl, whom is given no command to counterattack, block, or evade.

“Huh, but Grimmsnarl is part Fairy-type!” Melanie exclaims as she snaps back into focus.

“Hm, what’s going on?” Arthur murmurs in confusion. “He’s certainly no amateur, but did he make a miscalculation by accident?”

Kratos’s claw strikes Grimmsnarl, but it doesn’t impact the Pokémon in any way. _“Did he forget the type immunity?”_ Arthur thinks to himself, his Grimmsnarl looking bewildered. “Ice Punch!”

”Iron Tail,” Valen commands with a wide grin. Salamence also grins as his tail glows silver, now realizing what his trainer’s intent was as he swings his tail to attack Grimmsnarl. Before Grimmsnarl can even strike with Ice Punch, Salamence lands a direct hit on Grimmsnarl.

“What?! That Dragon Claw was just a mechanism to launch a surprise attack?!” Arthur reacts, stunned as Grimmsnarl falls to its knees as it reels from the major damage it took from Iron Tail.

“That’s right,” Valen confirms, his confident grin from earlier having returned. “It was an obvious mistake, so obvious that you let your guard down for a brief moment, leaving an opening for Kratos to launch another attack. Now, it’s time for a second Iron Tail.” As Grimmsnarl still reels from first one, Salamence's tail glows silver again and Kratos swings his tail, landing another direct hit and doing more major damage to Grimmsnarl.

“Use Flamethrower,” Valen commands. Salamence launches a reddish orange stream of fire at the still reeling Grimmsnarl, scoring another direct hit at Grimmsnarl’s face.

“An intentional miscalculation, followed by three direct hits back to back in rapid succession?!” Arthur exclaims as Salamence flaps his wings and takes flight again.

“Time to finish this,” Valen confidently announces. “Hyper Beam.” An orb of orange energy forms inside Salamence's mouth. Then, Salamence's launches a powerful orange beam of energy from up in the air at Grimmsnarl. Grimmsnarl is unable to avoid the powerful attack, and it falls on the ground, defeated.

“Grimmsnarl!” Arthur worriedly shouts upon seeing his Pokémon lying defeated on the ground, before calming down and smiling. “Ah well, you win some and you lose some.”

“I told him he was on my level for a reason,” Melanie murmurs to herself while smiling.

"Good job," Valen says to his smiling Salamence as he recalls the dragon. 

“That was a exhilarating battle!” Arthur says as he recalls his Grimmsnarl. “You are quite strong.”

“Why don’t you tag along with us?” Melanie asks Arthur, sporting an inviting, warm smile. “Valen could use a second friend around.”

“It would be my pleasure, and thank you for your kind words,” Arthur replies as he bows.

Valen rolls his eyes over Melanie's remark. “Good, now you can take her off my hands,” Valen jabs with a smug smirk on his face, sluggishly strolling away with his hands in his pockets. "I'm finally free of Empress Bossy Butt."

“Quite the snarky fellow, isn’t he?” Arthur amusingly asks as Melanie looks exasperated.

“He wasn’t always like this,” Melanie laments with her hands on her hips. “He’s changed.”

“That is a shame,” Arthur replies. “Perhaps he has mostly shut himself off emotionally, at least on the outside.”

“I thought bringing him here might bring at least part of his old self back,” Melanie replies, her mouth curving into a faint smile.

“Is that right?”

“His battle with you made me realize that he hasn’t completely changed on the inside, so thank you.” Melanie beams with gratitude. “I owe you one.”

“This seems deeply important to you, so I am glad I was able to help,” Arthur replies. “However, I shall take you up on that offer and request a battle-"

“Hey, I don’t have all day,” Valen brashly interrupts Arthur and Melanie’s conversation. “Come on already.”

“You have all day to be a colossal pain in the ass, though!” Melanie shouts back as she runs up to catch up with Valen.

“I’m not a Pokémon.”

“I said colossal, not Coalossal!”

“Those two are a rather lively pair,” Arthur observes while walking in the same direction, chuckling to himself.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Revisions made to this chapter include cuts, extended dialogue between Valen and Melanie, dialogue/text alternations, added details, and mentions of Rosa.


	3. To Reconnect, or Not to Reconnect?

It's a late sunny afternoon, and Valen's standing outside an enormous house within his old neighborhood. This Neoclassical style neighborhood and its closest surrounding areas were the first settlements in what is now modern day Angel City. As Valen’s an avid history reader and the son of a historian, he recalls having read that the city sprung up during the mid 18th century, thus making Valen’s childhood neighborhood the oldest residential district in the city.

The house that Valen is starting at is full of memories, as this is Valen’s childhood home. It’s where he first met Melanie seventeen years ago, when she moved to this neighborhood. This house is also where his mom’s colleague, Professor Elm gave him his starter. Valen first met his Gardevoir on this property: He was eight, and she was shy Ralts that somehow ended up in the backyard. There are plenty of other memories within those walls, and within this neighborhood in general. “I've always found it cool that I lived in a house that was first built in 1755, which happens to be the same year that the Calvana Pokémon League was established,” Valen says as he keenly studies the Neoclassical architecture style of his childhood home, currently focusing on the four cylinder columns in the middle. Between the columns and the front door lies the front porch, and Valen has sat in the porch’s aged chairs many times. “It’s a really nice feeling to know that so many of these old structures are still around.” 

"Are you going to say hello, or are you going to keep talking to yourself like I can't hear you?” An older woman wearing a magenta blouse calls out to Valen from left end of the front yard. Valen snaps back into focus, because the woman calling out to him is his mother. Professor Veronica Barsotti was tending to her garden when she spotted her son.

“Sorry for not calling you ahead of time, mom,” Valen replies with a faint smile, making eye contact with his mom, whom he got his dark blue eyes from.

“Don’t worry about it,” Valen’s mother, Pokémon Professor Barsotti, beams with a gentle vibe. ”Even though you live elsewhere now, this is still your house too.” Then, the family pet Boltund rushes out to greet Valen in a jovial, excited manner, having seen him through the slightly open front door.

“Hey there, boy,” Valen gently speaks with a genuine smile as he he bends to pet Boltund, who affectionately licks his face. “You know, I’ve never been to Galar,” Valen admits. 

“Still?” Professor Barsotti questions, her eyebrows raised in surprise. “At least you visited other regions.”

“Yep,” Valen replies as he pets Boltund, much to the Pokémon’s delight. “I went to Unova three times, albeit the third time I was accompanying you and grandma with research.”

“Why don’t we continue this conversation inside?” Professor Barsotti asks. Then, her cell phone rings. "I'll answer this, then I'll come inside."

"Alright, I go in first." Valen replies, walking towards the front door with a happy Boltund by his side.

Professor Barsotti answers her cell phone. "Hi, Rosa," Professor Barsotti says through the phone's speaker. "Don't worry, I'm sure that he'll contact you eventually."

"Tee-hee, he knows he can't evade me forever!" Rosa exclaims on the other end of the line.

"He’s here, so I'll have a talk with him," Professor Barsotti tells, sporting a warm smile. 

"Thanks, Mrs. Barsotti," Rosa replies. "I really do miss him, but I have to remain cheerful. That’s just who I am, and I also have faith in Valen."

"Thanks for trying to reach out to him," Professor Barsotti states. "You aren't the only one who wants to see him again.”

"I still can’t believe he thinks I’m mad at him," Rosa admits. "As for the others, they’ve asked me about Valen too."

* * *

Inside the living room, Valen sits on a red sofa with outscrolled arms that’s finished with velvet leather upholstery, whereas his mother sits on a mahogany armchair that’s also finished in velvet leather upholstery. “I see you kept the historical themes going,” Valen remarks as he looks around, seeing various pieces of furniture, such the walnut table on his right and several pine cupboards within the kitchen. “The walls are original, but they look like they're new," Valen notes, staring at the elegant walls made up of brown marble, which looks more suited for a monarch’s opulent palace than the home of an upper middle class family.

“Honey, you of all people should know that we have to keep the historical themes going, plus we have to maintain its historic value!” Professor Barsotti happily exclaims, sporting a broad grin. “This house's been well maintained for over two hundred and fifty years!” In addition to being a renowned Pokémon researcher, Professor Barsotti’s a renowned historian of architecture, interior design, and decorative arts.

“It’s a weird feeling whenever I actually express myself,” Valen admits with his eyes closed as Boltund happily sits next to his left leg. “As you already know, I’m not exactly comfortable with opening up to people after I was honorably discharged.”

“Valen, have you actually talked to anyone, domestic or abroad, lately?” Professor Barsotti curiously asks with her eyebrows raised. “You used to be a more sociable person, yet it doesn’t seem like you’ve kept up with anyone.”

“Well, I met up with Melanie again, and I started to wonder about the people I met abroad." Valen feels a light quiver in his stomach.

“If you ask me, I think it’s time to start reconnecting with everyone you can,” Professor Barsotti advises Valen, her voice emitting a soothing tone.

“I dunno mom, is it really worth it?” Valen somberly questions.”

“Valen, I genuinely don’t believe that Melanie's the only person who wants to see you again,” Professor Barsotti informs her son. “Sometimes, I get calls from people in other regions asking about you. A few even thought you were killed while fighting in Orre.” Professor Barsotti scratches the back of her short, wavy black hair, She's bewildered over why her son let such a grim feeling occur in the first place.

“Huh, seriously?” Valen reacts, re-opening his eyes with his eyebrows raised.

“Don’t worry, I cleared that false notion up the instant it came to my attention.”

“It really has been a while if people are thinking that, but I dunno if reconnecting is a good idea.”

“What’s the hesitation?” Professor Barsotti asks.

“I’m different than I used to be...will they actually accept that I’m not who they remember...or will my feeling of abandonment be...proven right?” Valen laments. “Dad once said that the darkness of war can corrupt anybody, including the most kindhearted people...I now realize what he meant.”

“We all have our strengths and weaknesses, but that doesn’t mean we can’t try to improve ourselves.”

“That’s true,” Valen admits, sporting a frown. “However, do you...do you think anybody actually misses me?” Valen bows his head.

Professor Barsotti isn’t one to feel down in the dumps. Instead of a frown, a wide smile plasters her face. “Oh, of course they do! Try to get back in touch with your past friends. You might be pleasantly surprised!”

“Eh, I’ll think about it." Valen bends down to pet Boltund with his right hand, having heard the canine wincing over his somber demeanor. Valen faintly smiles as Boltund becomes happy again.

“You definitely do need to change your views on relationships, as I’m still waiting on you to bring home another girl!” Professor Barsotti exclaims.

“She was very energetic and lively, wasn’t she?” Valen reminisces with a faint smile.

“I still remember how happy your grandmother and I were when you came to our villa with a girl!” Professor Barsotti reminisces in elation. “You need to seek out that old flame again! Your mother needs a daughter-in-law before you turn thirty!”

“Of course you’d say that,” Valen replies. “How’s grandma and grandpa doing?”

“They’re doing well,” Professor Barsotti replies. “If you ever visit Redwood Town, be sure to visit them.”

“Heh, will do,” Valen replies, now sporting a more visible smile. “You mind naming everyone who called you to ask about me?”

“So far, I’ve received calls from Melanie, Rosa, Skyla, Calem, Serena, Silver, Gladion and Lillie.”

Valen can't help but have the faintest of amused smiles over hearing the names Silver and Gladion. However, Valen takes note of one specific name in particular. It takes a few seconds, but when it hits him that his mother's just mentioned Rosa, a wide-eyed Valen jerks his head back, his jaw dropping in disbelief. “D-Did you just say R-Rosa?!” 

Professor Barsotti raises her eyebrows again, noting, “That name seems to have caught you off guard.”

"Both Melanie and you have received calls from Rosa.” Valen comments, closing his eyes to hide how watery they’ve rapidly become. “R-Rosa...I vanished from her life....I don’t get it.” Boltund looks at Valen, wondering why his mood’s suddenly changed. “M-Mom, Rosa hates me, so why-“

“Valen, don’t speak such nonsense,” Professor Barsotti chastises as she narrows her eyebrows downwards, forming a forehead crease.

“S-So, how’s Rosa doing?" Valen asks, feeling a fluttery feeling in his stomach. "Is she still the same?”

“She’s doing fine, and she definitely hasn’t changed one bit.” Professor Barsotti replies, sporting a soft smile. “Actually, Rosa has called me more than anybody else has, but I’m aware of how severe your struggles are. We end up chatting instead.” Professor Barsotti chuckles. Both Valen’s mom and Rosa are high spirited and lively people that can stick out like a sore thumb.

_“Rosa, you aren't mad at me at all?”_ Valen feels a sinking feeling in his stomach, bowing his head downwards. Valen lets out a heavy sigh, not knowing what to make of this.

“Hopefully, your outlook on life changes to what it used to be. If anyone can help you with that, it’s Rosa," Professor Barsotti states. "She wouldn't outright say it, but underneath her cheerful personality, I could tell that she deeply misses you."

Valen jerks his head back again, realizing that his mother is probably correct about Rosa. However, Valen's as skeptical about reaching out to Rosa, or anybody else, as some of his mom's fellow researchers are of the existence of Celebi. Since it’s his mother, Valen decides to relents. “Alright, I’ll...,I’ll think about reaching out....to Rosa first.” Valen faintly smiles when he hears Boltund barking in encouragement.

Professor Barsotti nods, sporting a gentle smile on her face. She knows Valen’s lost and confused, so she won’t push him.

"Soooo, can I finally have the car I want?" Valen asks, sporting a faint smile.

"Get a garage built first, honey," Professor Barsotti counters.

"I'm not building a garage until I'm promised ownership of that awesome car," Valen counters.

* * *

"This is a rather lovely looking park," Arthur notes, looking around the park that Valen and Melanie hung out in many years ago. "It has a quaint feeling to it, and it is quite pleasant." As his brown Victorian style suit jacket ripples in the slight breeze, Arthur notes that there aren't a whole lot of people around.

""We both grew up in this neighborhood." Melanie observes that there are less people within the park today. Melanie's sweating a little, having noticed that a few people do recognize her. Fortunately, the trainers in this neighborhood are usually pretty chill, and won't storm in and demand a battle.

“Speaking of which, where is Valen?” Arthur asks, raising his eyebrows.

“The dunce vanished without telling me where he was going.” Melanie exasperates with her hands on her hips, her blue jacket rippling in the slight breeze. “All he said was that he needed a little bit of time so he can ponder his past connections.”

“I see,” Arthur replies. “Well, I guess it cannot be helped.”

“However, if he's considering what I think he might be considering, then let’s leave him be,” Melanie tells Arthur. In any case, I asked you to come here so you can take me up on that offer.”

“Is that so?” Arthur asks. “That must mean you wish to battle.”

“Yep,” Melanie states as she takes out a Poké Ball and holds it out in front of her. "I want you to show me what Valen saw that got him excited.”

“Very well,” Arthur replies. “I shall accept your challenge.”

"Valen says I'm strong for a reason, so you better watch out!" Melanie boasts.

* * *

Melanie and Arthur stand on opposite ends of a lush, grassy field. Melanie has sent out her Dragonite. Arthur has sent out his Duraludon. Since Melanie's a notable trainer, a small crowd of people have gathered to watch this battle.

"Dragon Claw," Arthur commands. Duraludon's left hand glows light blue and he charges at Dragonite.

"Counter with your Dragon Claw!" Dragonite's right hand glows light green and he slightly lifts himself off the ground as he charges at Duraludon. Both Pokémon slam their glowing claws into each other, with neither giving an inch as they glare at each other with their competitive fighting spirits.

"Back away, and use Brick Break!" Dragonite flies backwards, then immediately charges back at Duraludon, this time with his right hand glowing bluish white. Dragonite lands a hit in the center of Duraludon's body, causing the Steel/Dragon type to stagger from the attack. 

"Dragon Pulse!" Dragonite opens his mouth and a turquoise ball of energy forms in front of it.

"Use Dragon Pulse as well," Arthur commands. Like Dragonite, Duraludon opens his mouth and a gunmetal gray ball forms in front of it. Both Dragon-type Pokémon launch their Dragon Pulse attacks at the same time. Both turquoise balls of energy collide, causing a medium explosion that generates smoke. As the smoke clears, Melanie and Arthur look at each other with expressions of enjoyment on their faces, while their respective Pokémon signal respect for each other by letting out cries.

"You aren't bad,” Melanie compliments. "I can see why Valen had fun in his battle with you."

"Your compliment is much appreciated, and I can see why Valen and others think so highly of you," Arthur replies. "However, I shall not suffer a defeat a second time!"

"Sorry, but I'm afraid you will be defeated a second time!” Melanie counters. "Use Flamethrower!" Dragonite opens his mouth and unleashes a red-orange stream of fire. Duraludon's struck on the right side of his face. Then, Duraludon's entire body becomes enveloped in flames, taking additional damage."

"A burn? That's not good," Arthur murmurs to himself. "Use Flash Cannon.”

Melanie's mouth curves into a confident grin, commanding, "Counter with Earthquake!"

"Oh come on!" Arthur wails as Dragonite slams his tail into the ground as hard as possible, sending a flurry of white shockwaves towards Duraludon. Duraludon closes his eyes, wobbling as he attempts to endure the super-effective attack.

"I show no mercy, just like Valen!" Melanie boasts, placing her hands on her hips as she lets out a cocky chuckle. "Earthquake again!" Dragonite slams his tail on the ground for a second time, sending another flurry of white shockwaves towards a still reeling Duraludon. The combination of back-to-back Earthquakes and burn damage proves too much for Duraludon. Duraludon lets out a soft roar to congratulate his opponent. Then, the Steel/Dragon-type falls to the ground in defeat.

"Nice job, Dragonite!" Melanie exclaims, running over to her Pokémon. Melanie and Dragonite exchange a hi-five, both grinning.

"You got to be bloody kidding me!" Arthur exclaims in disbelief as he recalls Duraludon. "How could I have lost again, and even quicker than the last time?!" 

"I warned you that I was strong!" Melanie teases as she recalls Dragonite. "Maybe Valen was right and I am stronger than him!"

"Good thing mum and dad are not here to see this, otherwise I would be reminded of that joke of a instructor I once had," Arthur remarks. "I was stronger than him, for crying out loud!"

"That's why you're here, though," Melanie reminds Arthur. "I’m guessing you want to get away from such a lifestyle."

"....What about Valen?" Arthur asks. “What does he want?”

"Honestly, I have no idea," Melanie admits, letting out a deep sigh. "I just hope his old self hasn't gone dormant forever."

* * *

Valen lies on his old room’s bed as he stares at his cell phone in silence, pondering on the advice that his mom gave him. “What mom said sounds good on paper, but does anyone else actually miss me?” Valen somberly ponders out loud to himself, letting out a shallow sigh. “Things have changed for me in a big way.”

Valen glances right to an empty ebony bookshelf. Most of the items that were in this ebony bookshelf are now in Valen’s current residence, but one thing that has remained are all seven medals from Hoenn’s Battle Frontier, as well as numerous photos. The photos are of himself with a number of people from his past. “How come I never bothered to take those with me when I moved out?” Valen asks himself, letting out another shallow sigh. “Am I really avoiding the past that much by leaving not only my medals here, but the various photographs taken in all the regions that I have visited?”

As Valen ponders to himself, he remembers the fun moments he had with Rosa. “Reconnecting sounds like a pain. I wonder if at least she would be worth reaching out to?” Valen asks himself. “I think that-“ Valen's interrupted when his Gengar materializes next to him from the wall. “When did you get out of your Poké Ball?” Valen asks his Gengar with his eyebrows raised. Then, Valen notices his Gardevoir, standing next to his open door. The grinning, red-eyes ghost glances glances to his right, looking at Valen while pointing to his cell phone with his right hand. When Valen looks up at his Gardevoir, she nods in approval with an affectionate smile on her face. Then, Valen's Gardevoir is joined by Valen’s Luxray and Typhlosion. Luxray nods in approval with a sterner expression on his face, whereas Typhlosion lets out a gentle cry to show her approval. 

“That’s four, so where are Salamence and Golisopod?” Valen asks, with his question being immediately answered by a low toned roar from his Salamence. Gardevoir and Luxray move to their right to show that Salamence and Golisopod are here as well. “My entire team is encouraging me try and reconnect? It’s that important to all of you?” Valen asks as Salamence smirks and Golisopod lets out an amused cackle over Valen’s question.

“....Alright....since you’re all family, I’ll give a try if it makes all of you happy,” Valen says, closing his eyes while sporting a faint smile. “I’m still not sure how I'll proceed from here on out, but let's do this." Valen dials a number on his cell phone. “Hopefully, she doesn’t hate me nor is too mad at me.” The phone rings once, as it’s immediately picked up. “It's your boy, Valen.”

“V-Val.....Valen?!” An astonished Rosa barely knows what to say, fighting the urge to cry upon hearing Valen’s voice again. “Is it.....is it really you.....V-Valen?!”

”It’s been a while, Rosa,” Valen says over the phone with a more visible smile. “I know I haven’t kept in touch, and I’m sorry about that, but here I am.”

”It’s you....it’s really you....you’re back,” Rosa says, her voice cracking with emotion. "I'm....I'm so glad....I really missed you."

Valen raises his eyebrows upwards, having heard Rosa’s sobbing as it grows louder and louder. "Hey, are you....are you okay?"

"Y-Yeah....I'll be fine....thanks,” Rosa replies, pulling herself together. Then, Rosa startles Valen by letting out an elated scream. “You finally showed yourself, mister! Yaaaaay, Valey’s back!”

“Wait a minute, you seriously aren’t mad?” Valen questions, his mouth gaping open in astonishment. "I left you out to dry, so why are you-“

“Are you kidding me?! How can I be mad at you of all people?!" Rosa joyfully shouts. “Hearing your voice again just made my day, or maybe even my week! Tee-hee, maybe even my month!“

“I’ve met up with Melanie again, so I’ve been pondering about reconnecting with more old friends,” Valen explains. “You happen to be the first one, as you were a blast to hang out with."

"Tee-hee, Rosa's always super fun to be around!" Rosa asserts. 

"Why not come over to this region at some point?” Valen asks. "We've been to multiple regions together, but you've never gotten the chance to come here."

“Oh, I’d loooove to!” Rosa exclaims. “You know I loooove to battle, and I want to have battles with all sorts of trainers! More importantly, there’s a certain special someone that I have to see in person again!”

“Still full of energy,” Valen notes, now sporting a wide grin. “However, you better watch yourself, Rosa—when it comes to Pokémon battling, we don’t mess around in Calvana.”

“Ooooh, I must come to your home region! After all, I'm Battle Queen Rosa! I need to become famous in your home region!" Rosa proclaims. "We super duper ultra really need to catch up in person too!”

“I agree,” Valen replies. “Hit me up whenever you decide to come here again, so I can show you around.”

“I’m gonna take you up on that offer, soooo you better not vanish again, big boooy,” Rosa playfully replies.

“I can’t make that promise, so you’ll just have to find me,” Valen teases. “If you can find me, that is.”

“You think you can evade me forever?!” Rosa exclaims in hysterics. "We both know who’s going to win in the end!"

"You're a Normal-type, and I'm a Fighting-type," Valen proudly replies. "There's no way you'll defeat me."

"Oh, we'll see about that," Rosa retorts with a faint giggle. “You can’t evade the queen."

”Don’t test your luck,” Valen teases.

“Oh noooo, I’m soooo scared!” Rosa laughs.

Gengar joins the other five Pokémon, all of whom look very pleased and joyful that their trainer might be starting to open up more. After all, it’s rare for their trainer to show genuine happiness these days beyond brief moments. However, they’re also very amused at how oblivious their trainer has seemingly anything even remotely related to relationships, as he doesn’t pick up Rosa’s attempt at flirting with him. Either that, or he's just faking it. He is teasing her back, after all. Also, these Pokémon remember that their trainer loved to prank people.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted Melanie and Arthur to do something in this chapter, hence the battle. You'll see this again as you progress through the story, especially as more canon characters show up. This was mostly about Valen’s internal conflicts, though. As for Rosa, she was the first canon character I decided to include. Her character is based off of Rosa from Masters. You'll see others based off their Masters counterparts later on.
> 
> Also, I’m an avid nonfiction reader, or as least trying to be. I also have an interest in architecture, so I figured I'd use real world architecture/design styles for worldbuilding. You’ll likely notice that I’m a big history buff as you continue reading.
> 
> Revisions made to this chapter include making the battle one that’s fully shown, extended dialogue between Valen and his mom, extended dialogue between Valen and Rosa, dialogue between Valen’s mom and Rosa. dialogue/text alterations and added details.


	4. Too Serious

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I originally wrote this chapter, organized crime was a big part of the main plot. Same applies to 5 and 10. One of the revisions that I made was removing such scenes since they didn't really have a place anymore. I decided that I'll write a spin-off, and will only have scenes involving gangsters when it can tie-in to the main plot in some way.

It’s a cloudy evening within Angel City. Valen, along with Kratos are taking a stroll through a quieter area of the large city in order to reach their current residence. As Valen walks past the brutalist style buildings and the flickering street lights with his Salamence, the dragon eyes the peculiar shapes of the drab buildings on both sides of the street, wondering why the humans chose to build such structures.

Valen notices that his Salamence is keenly studying these concrete buildings. Valen sports a faint smile, teasing. “You seem a little too mesmerized by these buildings. You gonna be the first Salamence to become an architect?" Salamence smiles in amusement at his trainer.

Then, both trainer and Pokémon hear police sirens blaring from a close distance away. Then, he sees a Team Rocket grunt running from the general area that the sirens are coming from. A scowling Valen decides he to prevent the grunt from running further and trips the grunt with his right foot.

“So, who let this trash out of the dumpster? Did a landfill run out of space?” Valen continues to scowl at the Team Rocket grunt who’s laying on the ground, moaning in pain. "Fuck Team Rocket."

“Hey, who the hell you think you are?!” The Team Rocket grunt snaps as he rolls over to face Valen. “That Salamence of yours ain’t saving you from me!” Salamence lets out a bloodthirsty roar in response, indicating that he’s ready to attack.

“It’s not just my Salamence you have to worry about,” Valen barks, revealing that he's got a holster with a pistol inside. “You have to worry about me as well.”

“Y-You packing heat?” The grunt yelps.

“Since you were unlucky enough to run into me, I'll ask you one question that's relevant to my, Team Rocket scum,” Valen threatens as he draws his pistol. "Who's your boss?"

“Fuck off, cuz I ain’t telling you shit! I ain’t no Rattata!” The Team Rocket grunt snaps back as he spits at Valen’s feet. As the grunt appears to be reaching for either a Poké Ball or a weapon, Valen grabs the grunt by his collar and presses his pistol on the grunt’s head.

“Tell me who your boss is, or I’m gonna splatter your brain matter all over this sidewalk,” Valen growls at the Team Rocket grunt as he cocks his pistol, making eye contact with the grunt with a cold, emotionless glare. “You think I won’t do it? You think I won’t pull the trigger and blow your fucking brains out?” Valen violently throws the grunt on the ground and snaps his fingers. Salamence proceeds to place his front claws onto the grunt, and stares directly into the grunt’s eyes with an intent to kill. “Mauling or lead, I’ll let you pick,” Valen growls.

“A-Alright, I’ll tell ya!” The grunt concedes. “M-Madman Al! H-He runs this b-branch of Team Rocket on behalf of his old friend, Boss Giovanni!”

“Madman Al? You mean Albert Siracusa?” Valen asks, his voice emitting an eerily low tone.

“Y-Yeah, Albert Siracusa!” The grunt screams. “Lemme go already!”

“Salamence, stand down,” Valen commands, and Salamence backs away from the grunt. "Fuck everyone in Team Rocket. That asshole got lucky." Valen calmly holsters his pistol and walks away with Salamence behind him. As the grunt gets up and runs away from both the police and Valen, Valen continues to walk towards the neighborhood he currently lives in. "I don't care what Dimitri says, nor do I care about the fact that I've been sidelined from field work. One day, I'm gonna bring all these assholes down.”

Valen and his Salamence continue walking, while Valen thinks about what just happened. “...I probably was too extreme back there, but who the hell would actually care if I popped one of these bastards?” Valen grumbles to himself. “They killed that Marowak in Kanto many years ago. I’ve even heard rumors that Giovanni was planning to sell off Mewtwo as a weapon of mass destruction. Fuck Team Rocket. I'll kill them in droves if I ever get the chance to.”

* * *

Dimitri's standing within a plaza located in another part of the city, not too far from his company’s headquarters. “He seems to be busy.” Dimitri puts his phone away, having unsuccessfully attempted to contact Valen. Dimitri looks around, eyeing all the mid-rise buildings that were construed in the early to mid-20th century as he ponders to himself. “I have to inform him that the gala has been abruptly cancelled. I know I lied to him about the date, but I still feel that he should at least know this. That being said, who could have-"

It seems you may have lost your touch, my old friend,” a low-pitched, gruff voice mocks Dimitri. “Or, perhaps us members of Team Rocket proved far more elusive than you thought. Even I know that you aren’t a stupid person.”

“Well, this is a rather unpleasant turn of events,” Dimitri remarks, turning around and giving off a intense, fevered glare. “It has been a long time, Lars.” Dimitri notes Lars's cold yet smug facial expression, as the bright street lights illuminates Lars's black trench coat and the red R on his black shirt underneath.

“Indeed, it has,” Lars replies, sporting a sinister smirk. “How long’s it been?”

“That is of no concern to me, as I would prefer never to see you ever again,” Dimitri growls, sporting a scowl. “So, you rose the ranks of Team Rocket, have you?”

“Just like you are the boss of the Liniya Corporation, I am now second-in-command of this branch of Team Rocket,” Lars states.

”I should have known that you were behind this.” Dimitri scowls.

”Consider yourself lucky, because this is the stupidest idea I’ve ever had to deal with. That’s why I shut it down.””

“So, what was the host’s role in all this?” Dimitri asks, his eyebrows pulling together and down. “Since you felt cocky enough to show yourself again, why don’t you stop wasting my damn time and give me some useful information?”

“Fine, but only because I’m in a somewhat good mood today, despite your unnecessary insults,” Lars replies, fixating a harsh squint at Dimitri. “Hosting a gala’s already an horrendous idea, but the Galarian Mafia was out of their league on this one. They are not aware of how much you meddle in affairs in this region. Of course, it doesn’t matter now."

“I did not realize Team Rocket was so inept and pathetic that they needed the Galarian Mafia to host a simple gala,” Dimitri sneers. “That means that the organization of Team Rocket fits you perfectly, Lars.”

“You’ll eat those words once Team Rocket takes out its competition and rules the underworld of this region.”

"I suppose you had another reason to approach me, and it was not to be helpful in anyway,” Dimitri barks.

“I came to you as an old friend instead of coming as Team Rocket,” Lars replies, sporting a sinister grin. “You better stay out of my way, or else. Make sure you choose wisely.” Lars starts to walk away, but Dimitri's not finished with him just yet.

“We are not friends,” Dimitri sternly replies. “You will pay for what you did to those innocent girls all those years ago. I know very well about your sadistic past, plus you betrayed my trust.”

“Aw, did I hurt the pussy boy’s feelings?” Lars jeers in response as he walks away. “Friends are useless. Those girls are useless. Power is all that matters, and I’ll become more powerful through any means necessary, Dimitri. I will be Giovanni’s successor one day, just you wait.”

“If you are so powerful and unstoppable, then why are you leaving so soon?” Dimitri sneers as he takes out a Poké Ball. “Is that red hair getting its long overdue trimming, or are you the real pussy since you don’t have the courage to face me in battle? It is just like you to project your pathetic self onto others.”

“You can trash talk as much as you want, but a battle between us will not happen until you pit your strongest Pokémon against my strongest Pokémon,” Lars sneers back and he begins to walk away. “Knowing you, your Talonflame is in that Poké Ball, and that doesn’t interest me. I want a real battle between our strongest Pokémon, not baby steps with a Talonflame because it has a type advantage.”

“Ah, I should have realized that when you said second-in-command, you mean you meant that you are now Madman Al’s long haired bitch,” Dimitri disparages. “Must be a lot of tears coming from those green eyes of yours as you cry that you cannot defeat me.”

“Heh, this isn’t the last time we’ll be seeing each other, my old friend,” Lars states as he continues to walks off. “We’ll see who the real bitch is in due time, my old friend. Try not to cause too much trouble for me.”

After Lars has left, Dimitri looks into the starry night sky with a dull stare. "One day, I sincerely hope that Valen realizes how lucky he is to have friends who deeply care for him,” Dimitri laments about both the encounter he just had, and his last. “Furthermore, maybe I could benefit from some enjoyment in my life as well, just like Valen.”

* * *

“Dimitri, Melanie and Arthur must have been busy today, as they didn’t return my messages,” Valen says to himself as he lies down on his bed within his Victorian era house. “If I had to guess, I’d say Melanie got herself caught up in some publicity thing, whereas Arthur is telling a bunch of more snobby nobles to get lost, or as he would say it, piss off. It's been six days since I met up with Melanie, and five days since I met Arthur, but it feels like a lot longer."

Valen isn’t feeling tired, so he stares blankly above him as he continues to ponder about recent events. “How do I figure out who to trust, and will I ever be able to trust again beyond a few people?” Valen asks himself. “I haven't thought about any of this in so long, but meeting up with Melanie again went a lot better than I’d anticipated...as have the phone calls with Rosa."

Valen hears that someone is calling him. When he sees who is calling, Valen's mouth curves into an amused smirk. “Heh, this crazy girl can’t keep me off of her mind for long, can she?” Valen remarks, faintly laughing as he answers his cell phone.

“Well, look who came running back to me back for the fourth day in a row,” Valen jokes, his eyes lighting up as his mouth curves into a warm smile. “It may not sound like it, but I‘m actually quite happy that you’ve been calling me.”

“Tee-hee, I told you I would find you, silly!” Rosa cheerfully exclaims on the other end of the line. “I’ll never let you vanish like that ever again! You’re mineeee, big boooooy!”

“Hey now, you didn't find me in person, though,” Valen points out, sporting a teasing smirk.

“Oooooh, you want to be a bad boy and hide from meeee again?” Rosa giggles. “Give it time and I’ll find you in person as well! You can’t run from your destiny! Rosa's gonna find you and squeeze yoooou!"

“Hmph, do you actually think that you can find me in person?" Valen asks, feeling a bit mischievous. "Let’s see if your actions can live up to your word—I challenge you to see who finds who in person first."

“Tee-hee, I accept!” Rosa giggles. “I’m gonna win, so I expect a victory kiss!”

Valen blinks in confusion. _“Why does she expect me to give her a victory kiss? Friendship are one thing, relationships are another thing.”_

”Ooooh, big booooy went quiet!” Rosa giggles. “Is he scared to give me a kiss? I bet he forget how to do it!”

“Hmph, as if you can actually find me in person,” Valen teases, emitting a hint of defiance. “Nobody can find me if I don’t want them to. What makes you think you can?”

”Such a bad boy you are, Valen,” Rosa giggles.

“They say that opposites attract, don’t they?” Valen playfully questions. _“Might as well dish it out myself, even though I have my doubts."_

Rosa giggles, but lets out a gasp seconds later. “W-Woah, look at how late it is! You should get some sleep!” Rosa tells Valen, her voice emitting a concerned term. “It’s not good to stay up too late! Please get some rest!”

“Rosa, it’s not even eleven thirty,” Valen counters, baffled by Rosa’s sudden concern over his bedtime.

“You need to sleep before midnight, because need all my besties to be in tip-top shape so I don’t leave them in the dust!” Rosa cheerfully proclaims. “Especially you, because you never know when I’ll pay you a visit! It could be tomorrow, or next week or next month, so be prepared and well rested for your favorite girl!”

“Are you trying to be my pretend nagging wife instead of Melanie?” Valen teases, faintly laughing. _"I love how innocent this girl is."_

“H-Hey, I-I’m just looking out for you!” Rosa retorts, slightly embarrassed. "Y-You know that I can be very nurturing!"

“Wait, if you’re telling me to to sleep, then shouldn’t you be hanging up and going to sleep as well?"

“I...w-well...uh...I forgot to check the time, okay?!” Rosa admits, feeling even more embarrassed. “It’s been so long that one phone call simply isn’t enough! I both wanted and needed to hear your voice as much as possible! I missed you sooooo much!”

“Oh, I almost forgot to thank you, Rosa," Valen says, sporting a faint, affectionate smile. 

“Tee-hee, you missed me a lot too, didn't you?” Rosa giggles.

“Well, reaching out to you was definitely a good idea,” Valen admits. “Even if I don’t reconnect with anyone else, the fact that you still want to be my friend after I vanished really means a lot to me.”

Rosa giggles at the implication that she considers the two of them to be only friends. However, Rosa decides to play along for the time being. “Who said we stopped being besties in the first place, because I sure didn’t!” Rosa happily exclaims. “I had a feeling you would eventually resurface, because we had loads of fun together!”

“Heh, you aren’t wrong about that,” Valen admits with a grin. “I’m glad we’re friends.”

“Right back at you, mister!” Rosa cheerfully replies. "We're besties forever, kaaaay?" Rosa can't wait to remind Valen of what they actually were, assuming he's not faking being oblivious just to troll her.

"I'm alright with that," Valen replies, faintly laughing. "You sure you aren't mad at me?"

"I was never mad at you in the first place, you silly boy!" Rosa exclaims. "I can't be mad at you!"

"Thanks, Rosa," Valen replies with a hint of gratitude. _"If I can at least have her back as a friend, I'll be satisfied. So far, it seems that-"_

"Ooooh, whatcha thinking?" Rosa teases, snapping Valen back into focus. "You thinking about your speech after I defeat you?"

"Oh please, you'll never defeat me," Valen retorts.

"Don't push your luck with Battle Queen Rosa, you silly boy!"

"Hey, make sure you come to this region soon." Valen smiles.

"Kaaaaay, I will!" Rosa giggles. Then, Rosa begins to sing. "I'm gonna see Valey! I'm gonna see Valey! I'm gonna sing, battle, and see my Valey! Yaaaaay!"

"That's right, you wanted to be a singer," Valen recalls, sporting an amused smirk. "Why haven't I seen you topping the charts?"

"That's another reason why I'd like to come to your home region!" Rosa exclaims.

"You really are still the same," Valen faintly laughs.

"Yeeeeep, Rosa's still Rosa!" Rosa giggles. 

As Valen and Rosa continue to talk, the former feels his mind and body being enveloped by a sense of relaxation. It's impossible to not feel calmer and happier when Rosa's around, even if it's just a phone call. He's starting to believe that both Melanie and Rosa genuinely missed him, so maybe other people miss him too.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think this chapter still works. It shows the serious, darker aspect of society that Valen still wants to fight, but it also shows that Valen could really use Rosa around to lighten his serious mood.
> 
> Brutalism was about mid-20th century.
> 
> Revisions made to this chapter include cuts, extended dialogue, dialogue alterations, and added details.


	5. Dimitri Liniya

It's early evening, and Dimitri's asked Valen to come to the Liniya Corporation’s privately owned battle arena, located close to the company’s main headquarters in downtown. In fact, one can see the towering skyscrapers, including the company’s headquarters, just by standing in this arena. Valen's already arrived at the arena, and he notes that the area isn't that busy. There's a considerable amount of road and foot traffic, but it's nothing like nearby downtown.

This area of Angel City, which happens to be somewhat close to the area where Dimitri encountered Lars, was first constructed in the early 20th century. The arena surrounded by mid-rise buildings finished in the Art Deco and Modernist styles of architecture. Valen notes how a number of the buildings are in different shades of blue, while others have glass-brick walls. As Valen walks closer to the arena, Dimitri chose to have the gate finished in a 19th century style, with Valen noting the ornate patterns on the gate.

As he walks towards the arena, Valen spots Dimitri standing in front of the gate. Valen's confused about why he's here. Dimitri's never called him to this arena before. “Sup, Dimitri?” Valen asks. “You wanted to see me?”

Dimitri turns his body, facing Valen as he nods his head. “Valen, would you mind having a battle with me?” Dimitri asks, holding a Poké Ball in his right hand. “I apologize for this sudden and unusual request. I know that when I do have the occasional battle, I am not the one who requests it. It is not something I do often anymore, but I think now is a good time to consider a slight change in that self policy that I have implemented for myself.”

Valen’s unsure what to make of this request. Not once has Dimitri requested a Pokémon battle with him. Valen’s well aware that a prevalent rumor in the region is that Dimitri is actually stronger than the region’s champion, but because Dimitri doesn’t battles publicly, this rumor has yet to be put to the test. “....Alright, but you’ll have to tell me why afterwards,” Valen states. Valen walks to the opposite end of the arena. Then, Valen turns around to face Dimitri, taking out a Poké Ball.

“Very well," Dimitri replies, sporting a stern expression. "I shall tell you why after the battle, regardless of the outcome.”

* * *

“Typhlosion, you’re up,” Valen states as he presses the button on the Poké Ball to let his Pokémon out. Typhlosion appears with no flames on her back and her eyes closed, but the flames on her back shoot upwards. The ferocious Typhlosion opens her eyes, giving off a glare so menacing that it could slice through the courage of any opponent who wasn’t a strong trainer themselves. “Let’s get this battle underway,” Valen tells Dimitri, while Typhlosion lets out a belligerent roar that’s akin to an erupting volcano.

“I shall use my Haxorus,” Dimitri states as he also presses the button on his Poké Ball to let his Haxorus out. Haxorus lets out a mighty roar, glaring with fierce determination. "Alright, let's see how much stronger you have become."

"With pleasure," Valen replies, noting that Typhlosion's extremely eager to charge into battle. "Use Flamethrower." With an self-confident, taunting grin, Typhlosion launches a red-orange stream of fire from her mouth at Haxorus. Haxorus is hit by Typhlosion's Flamethrower attack, but is undeterred and is more than ready to strike back.

"Use Fire Punch,” Valen commands. Typhlosion's left hand is surrounded by flames, and Typhlosion charges at Haxorus. 

This time, Dimitri won't let the attack hit, smirking as he readies to command a counterattack. "Use Earthquake," Dimitri commands. Typhlosion attempts to strike Haxorus with her Fire Punch attack, but Haxorus jumps and the attack misses its mark. Then, Haxorus lands back down and a wave of white shockwaves, powerful enough to make the battle arena slightly shake, is sent towards Typhlosion, who is having trouble maintaining her balance thanks to the shaking. The white shockwaves hit Typhlosion, and are strong enough to send her falling to the ground, but Typhlosion refuses to be defeated so easy, standing up and letting out another belligerent roar. Despite this show of strength, Typhlosion's still reeling from the attack it just took.

 _"Hm, this battle feels one-sided to me,"_ Valen thinks to himself as he keenly studies both his Typhlosion and Dimitri's Haxorus.

"Use Dragon Claw," Dimitri commands. As Typhlosion's still reeling from the Earthquake attack when Haxorus's left claw glows light blue. Haxorus then charges at Typhlosion, striking the Fire-type Pokémon with another devastating blow.

Valen notes that Typhlosion's significantly staggering after two attacks, albeit two very powerful attacks. "It seems that I've underestimated just how difficult of an opponent you are," Valen admits to Dimitri, bowing his head as he lets out heavy sigh. "Therefore, I don't see any point in me continuing a Pokémon battle that we will inevitably lose." Typhlosion's visibly disappointed by her trainer's decision, as evident by her frown.

"Are you sure about this?" Dimitri asks, cocking a brow.

“I'm sure, as your skills as a Pokémon trainer is too high of a mountain for me to climb,” Valen replies as he tends to Typhlosion, whose flames have disappeared. The Fire-type Pokémon slightly frowns and doesn’t make eye contact with her trainer. She’s not mad at him, but she’s saddened by her trainer’s self-worth issues. Even if this battle was one she’d lose, she wanted to give it her all. She wanted her trainer to be proud of her.

Valen feels ashamed of himself; he let his Typhlosion down. “Hey, losing a battle is okay,” Valen gently tells Typhlosion as he pets her head, trying to ignore his sense of regret. “I’m still proud of you for trying. We win some, we lose some. There are many opponents in this world who are stronger than us, so we'll just have to get even stronger, won't we?“ Typhlosion nods, closing her eyes as she sports a grin. Valen lets out a deep breath, relieved that the prideful Fire-type Pokémon doesn’t hold this against him. “That’s my girl,” Valen compliments his Typhlosion with a warm smile, petting her as she gently roars. "I'll make sure that the next battle you fight in will be one that we win,” Valen promises, with Typhlosion affectionately licking his face in response. Typhlosion wishes that Valen would stop degrading himself, but that’s not going to stop her from loving her trainer.

“Is everything okay?” Dimitri asks as he recalls his Haxorus.

“She’s a very prideful Pokémon. This can get her feeling down, but she’ll be okay. She's always okay in the end,” Valen explains as he recalls Typhlosion.

 _"Is her trainer okay, though?"_ Dimitri ponders.

“So, why the battle request? This isn’t like you, not to mention there are way stronger opponents than me that would give you a bigger challenge.”

“I did say I would tell you why, and I do believe that you should know why. I had an rather unpleasant encounter with a friend turned foe, and it gave me pause on how serious we are all the time,” Dimitri replies, thinking somberly about his encounter with Lars. "I requested a battle with you as a way to let off some steam, but it seems that even I had forgotten about my own strength as a Pokémon trainer. I apologize for the trouble that I have caused you and your Typhlosion."

“It’s alright, but a friend turned foe?” Valen asks, wondering what’s going on as Dimitri talks about his past even less than he does. In fact, Valen knows nothing about Dimitri's family, where he was born, or even when his birthday is.

“Yes, and he happened to figure out I was on the gala’s guest list and removed my name from it,” Dimitri replies.

“Well, that throws a wrench in our plans,” Valen remarks. “So, this former friend of yours. What’s his name?”

“His name is Lars Wagner, and he is the underboss of this region’s Team Rocket,” Dimitri explains with a faint scowl. “We both grew up much further east in Vega City, surrounded by nothing but desert for miles.

“Seriously? I thought I had it rough....yet here you are, having to dealing with that guy of all people,” Valen replies as he thinks about his own dilemma regarding his past friends.

Valen’s also familiar with Vega City. It’s the largest city near the border with Orre, thus it was the largest populated area at risk from both Cipher and the regime that ruled Orre with an iron first. In preparation for being deployed to Orre, the Shadow Strike Force was stationed in Area 85, Calvana’s most secretive military base. However, what Valen isn’t telling Dimitri is that he’s faced a similar situation.

“Valen, you must keep in mind that strength is not the only thing that matters in this world,” Dimitri sternly advises Valen as the former slightly bows his head down. “Some of us only know unscrupulous aspects such as greed and envy from so-called friendships.”

“Eh, still see reconnecting with my past as too risky,” Valen replies. “However, there's one person who’s an exception to this rule, and I’ve been in frequent contact with her for days now.”

“Oh? What is her name?” Dimitri asks, surprised that Valen's actually done something positive in relation to his social life for a second time.

“Her name is Rosa, and she’s from Unova,” Valen explains with a visible smile, as he is also thinking about his recent conversations and the time he spent with Rosa in Unova.

"I hope you get to see her in person again." Dimitri faintly smiles.

“Of course, there’s more to the story, but I’ll save that for another time.” Valen faintly smirks.

“Pondering over my past has made me want to help the region in additional ways,” Dimitri states his new intentions, but then goes a little more philosophical. “If we keep being so gloomy and solely focus on the bad and negative, then are we truly living the best life that we possibly can? Our task of protecting our home region is very important, but so is our well-being as an individual person."

“You have a point there,” Valen replies, noticing that Dimitri’s more somber than usual, but he does have a justifiable reason.

““Many trainers from all over come here to begin with, so perhaps I could help trainers live abroad here in Calvana. I want to put more time and effort into the company's Tourism & Entertainment Department," Dimitri says. "One of those trainers can be your friend from Unova." Tourism's big industry in Calvana, having played a big role in making Angel City the thriving metropolis it's currently today. _"I want to move Valen into that department, but he is far from ready."_

"Well, I don't know if and when she's coming, but she definitely loves the idea of coming to a region this large,” Valen explains, faintly smiling in affection as he thinks about Rosa. Valen recalls how much fun he'd have when she was around. “She’s quite the vivacious girl, and she loves to battle. She's quite the people person as well, which may pose a problem for me, but I'll suck it up."

"If you do happen to come across her, which I believe that you likely will at some point in time, please bring her to the company's headquarters."

‘Will do." Valen nods. "I also think that there's one other idea that you haven't considered, but it's one that you can do alongside this idea.”

“Oh? What would that be?” Dimitri questions.

“Dimitri, I think that you need to battle publicly more often,” Valen states. “I may not be a super social person, but I do hear rumors and chatter. Many people want to know if you're stronger than Champion Wolfgang. I believe that eventually, you two should show them.”

“I appreciate your kind words, and I shall think about your idea. For now, I suppose that we both should get going,” Dimitri replies as he turns around and begins to walk away. “Thank you for the battle."

“I’ll see you around.” Valen faintly smiles.

As Valen walks out of the arena, he realizes that he’s missed text messages from Melanie. Melanie texted Valen that Arthur’s been hiding because a family friend from Galar spotted him, making him afraid that family members may find him. Valen smirks in amusement as he reads the text messages. "Arthur should probably be more careful where he goes.”

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Modernist and Art Deco architecture were about early 20th century, with Modernism going up to about/after WWII.
> 
> Revisions included cuts, dialogue/text alterations, and added details.


	6. Unova Girl

Within Angel City’s Old Downtown district, Valen saunters down a cobblestone plaza walkaway, as Old Downtown has no roads that go through it. Valen glances at the wall to wall Gothic Revival buildings he passes, all finished in colors such as middle brown, golden brown, and royal maroon. The area’s filled with shops and restaurants that date back to the area’s construction during the early 19th century. Valen smells the aroma of various foods, such as spicy noodles, chocolate, and pizza fresh from the oven. Due to its style of architecture, its shops, and its restaurants, it’s a popular tourist destination. Despite that, the number of people present seem less than the norm, as Valen doesn’t pass a whole lot of people as he walks. Not that Valen cares if there’s less people around. Usually, he prefers it that way.

Then, Valen gets a phone call from Melanie, and he picks up. “Sorry, I forgot to tell you that when you’re famous, the time you could use to spend with friends can eaten up rather quickly,” Melanie tells Valen over the phone, sounding rather sad that she hasn’t been able to see him in the flesh for the last few days. “I’m lying down on my bed because I’m so tired right now!”

“What exactly happened?” Valen asks as he slightly raises his eyebrows, noticing that Melanie also sounds really exhausted. Valen isn’t that surprised by the fact that Melanie was busy, as he originally thought she would have zero time for him. However, Valen isn’t bothered by this, since Melanie has shown that she absolutely wants to hang out with him.

“First, I get swarmed by fans, which is fine because they were rather polite. Then, I get swarmed by like seven trainers, which was more tiring than it sounds because these trainers were tougher than the ten you fought days ago,” Melanie explains, letting out a sigh. “Thankfully, Swampert and Alakazam were able to handle them all. After that, I had to do a promotion for this new public arena, which involved more battling. Then, I had to sign a bunch of autographs, which is also fine but so many things back stacked up like this can get tiring.”

There’s definitely more, right?” Valen asks. “There’s always more.”

“I almost got spotted by the paparazzi! I would have been so screwed if Alakazam didn’t use Teleport! You have no idea how lucky you are, Valen!” Melanie exclaims, her voice having risen as she takes deep breathes. “I literally want to tear my hair out and punch the wall!” Melanie lets out a angry scream in exasperation, almost startling Valen. “Just let me be Melanie instead of a known trainer!”

“You can stay home and rest,” Valen says, understanding why Melanie's tired, frustrated, and angry. “Don’t worry about me, as I heard an interesting rumor that I’m on my way to check out.”

“Oh?” Melanie piques up, having calmed down after venting over her hectic schedule. “What rumor?”

“Apparently, there’s this popular girl trainer who arrived from Unova about two days ago. They say she's a really lively person, and she's been cleaning up house," Valen explains. "Also, she’s got a Serperior. You see where I'm going with this?"

“A Serperior?” Melanie questions. “Do you think it’s Rosa?"

“That’s what I’m going to find out,” Valen affirms. “You’ll know if it’s her, as I’ll be bringing her along the next time we meet.”

“I’m surprised you’re actually going out of your way to do this,” Melanie remarks. "You seemed very reluctant to even call her, and now you're looking for her."

“Well, she’s an exception, and she’s the only one from abroad that I wanted to reconnect with,” Valen admits. “Anyway, I’ll let you go for now. It sounds like you really need some rest.”

“Thanks for understanding why I haven’t shown up in the last few days,” Melanie says. "Good luck with your reunion. I'm glad you're trying to reconnect with Rosa."

“Thanks, I’ll see you around,” Valen replies. "Thanks, I hope it goes well." After the call ends, Valen begins thinking about his time with Rosa in Unova, having a faint smile for a brief moment before returning to his indifferent self. “Those were the happiest years of my life, but then the war permanently took most of my happiness away. I hope that she’s okay with the current me, as a phone call isn’t exactly the same as an in person encounter.”

Then, Valen realizes that he accidentally passed the public arena, which is a large square in between four large buildings. “Knowing Rosa, she’s definitely still in that arena.” Valen walks backwards until he is standing by the arena’s entrance. Unlike the one he went to with Melanie, this arena has no lobby, or any interior whatsoever. It’s just a large, lush park like area that is surrounded by buildings first completed over two hundred years ago. Upon entering the arena, Valen immediately recognizes Rosa via one of her favorite accessories: her white and pink visor. Much to Valen’s surprise, there aren’t any trainers around, except for a sulking Rosa.

“Awwwww, I got too carried away and they all left." Rosa frowns with her head bowed down, staring at her white top with ice blue sleeves as her long ponytails sway due to a slight breeze.

Valen blinks in confusion, as he remembers that Rosa’s not the type to feel down in such a situation. “Hey, you aren’t allowed to be the person feeling down in the dumps,” Valen calls out to Rosa, attempting to cheer her up. “We can’t have the life of the party feeling down, now can we? If that happens, we’ll all be frowning.”

Rosa perks up at this, her mouth falling open as she lets out a loud gasp. “That’s voice...did he....did he really look for me in person?!” Rosa can feel her skin tingling as euphoria starts to flow through her.

“It's your boy, Valen,” Valen greets with a faint glimmer of happiness. “Sup, Rosa. It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

“V-Valen....you’re actually here,” Rosa murmurs, her mouth curving into a broad grin. Rosa turns to her right, trembling in excitement. “Valeeeeey! Hiiiiiii!” A feeling of warmth surges within her as she leaps forward, darting towards Valen. Then, much to Valen’s surprise, Rosa embraces him in her arms, which she wraps around his neck. "“I can't believe it's you! I missed you soooooo much, Valey!”

“It’s good to see you again, Rosa.” Valen has his eyes closed and his hands in his pockets, pretending act indifferent to the whole situation. However, Valen can't ignore the surge of warmth that's flowing through him. Valen presses his lips together to prevent himself from smiling. _“ Well, I guess that there wasn’t much to worry about.”_

“I’m so glad to see you again.“ Rosa affectionately smiles, shedding a stream of tears. "I knew you would be back, and I was right.”

“If you don’t let go of me, we can’t have a Pokémon battle," Valen points out, his mouth having curved into a faint smile.

“Nice try, but you aren’t escaping meeee just yeeeet!” Rosa giggles, still embracing Valen with her eyes closed.

“Uh oh, looks like somebody is afraid of losing to me,” Valen teases, his faint smile turning into a wide grin.

Valen’s comment causes Rosa to let go of him and step back a few feet. “Okay mister, I’m going to defeat you in a Pokémon battle and then you’ll be unable to escape me!” Rosa proclaims with a gleeful grin as she points at Valen with her right index finger, playfully winking at him. Suddenly, Rosa’s facial expression becomes one of shock as she gasps and places her left hand over her mouth. “Oh noooooo, I forgot to call and tell you that I had arrived in Calvana! Noooooooooo!”

“Don’t worry about it.” Valen shrugs his shoulders with his eyes closed. “Since you’re here, let’s have a Pokémon battle.”

“Okay, you’re on!” Rosa exclaims, happily closing her eyes.

* * *

“So, many battles have you won so far in Calvana?” Valen asks, standing on the opposite of the area from Rosa. Valen holds a Poké Ball in his right hand.

”Yeah, I know what you’re thinking: Did she win six battles, or only five?” Rosa asserts, pretending to be serious by lowering her eyebrows and looking stern. Then, Rosa reverts back to her usual self, sporting a joyful grin. “Well, I lost track of the amount because of all the excitement!” Rosa’s Serperior is in front of her, ready to partake in another battle.

“I see you’re still as lively as ever,” Valen says, feeling nostalgic about his time in Unova. “Also, long time no see, Serperior.” The green, serpentine Pokémon lets out a slight cry, acknowledging Valen.

“Now, you know that Pokémon battling is like my favorite thing ever, so let’s get down to business!” Rosa cheerfully proclaims in a jubilant manner. “I’m sticking with my Serperior! She’s been on a winning streak, so let’s see if her winning streak will continue, or if you can end her winning streak!”

"You still think you can defeat me, Rosa?" Valen asks, sporting an amused smirk.

"No, because I know I can defeat you." Rosa's eyebrows angle downwards as she gives Valen a confident, lopsided grin.

"Prove it," Valen teases.

"Gladly," Rosa teases back.

I'll use my Gengar,” Valen states, pressing the button on the Poké Ball to let his Pokémon out. The grinning, red-eyed ghost lets out a sinister snicker and flexes his arms like he’s a human bodybuilder, showing that he’s ready to battle.

“No more waiting, Valen! It’s time to get this started!” Rosa exclaims with excitement and joy, as it’s been a long time since she has battled Valen. “Use Growth!” A light green aura of energy begins to form and surround Serperior, who lets out a battle cry. The aura glows brighter and brighter, and her power increases. Eventually, the light green aura dissipates.

“Good choice,” Valen compliments Rosa, his mouth curving into an approving but confident smile. “However, will the boost in her special offensive power really be enough to win?”

“We’ll find out! Use Energy Ball!”

“Gengar, use Shadow Ball!”

Serperior opens her mouth and a green sphere of energy begins to form in front of it. At the same time, Gengar places his hands in front of his body and a black and purple sphere of energy forms in between his hands. Gengar uses his left hand to launch his sphere of energy at Serperior, who fires off her own sphere of energy at the exact same time. Both spheres collide with each other at great speed, causing them to cancel out. The collision causes a medium explosion, and smoke bellows as a result.

“Ice Punch!” Valen commands. As the smoke began to fully clear out, Gengar charges at Serperior via the air with his right hand, which glows an icy, pale blue. However, Rosa smiles with determination as she is prepared to counter. 

“Leaf Blade!” Rosa commands. The three leaves on Serperior’s tail glows light green, and Serperior swings her tail to block the Ice Punch attack. Gengar and Serperior glare at each other with a fierce determination to come out on top, as both Pokémon struggle to push the other back.

“I see you’re still a formidable opponent,” Valen remarks with a genuinely satisfied and happy expression on his face, getting very invested into this battle. “This’ll be a lot of fun, and fun and I don’t mix that often anymore.”

“Oh, is that so?” Rosa teases with her eyebrows narrowed downwards, her dark blue eyes fixated on both Valen and the battle. “I don’t think you’ll be saying that after our battle! Rosa makes everything two hundred trillion times more fun!”

“Gengar, fall back and use Sludge Bomb!” Valen commands. Gengar backs up, and Serperior swings her tail again in an attempt to strike Gengar with her Leaf Blade attack, but Shade is able to evade it just in time. Then, Gengar opens his mouth and fires off a barrage of brown sludge that all have a glowing, purple aura enveloping them. Serperior is struck just under her coiled, dark green extensions that form a V shape under her head. Serperior is sent reeling from the attack, and bows downward. Suddenly, Serperior glows purple, indicating that Sludge Bomb has caused the poison status condition.

“Uh oh, that might not be a good sign for us!” Rosa professes in alarm, raising her eyebrows in surprise as she sees her Serperior's now going to take additional damage. 

“Ice Punch!” Valen commands. Once again, Gengar's left hand glows an icy, pale blue, and he charges at Serperior. This time, Gengar lands a blow to Serperior’s face, sending the Grass-type Pokémon reeling further. However, neither Rosa nor her Serperior is one to give up in a Pokémon battle so easily.

“Giga Drain!” Rosa commands. Before Gengar can back away, Serperior entire body glows with a green aura. Four large streams of energy extend outwards and latch onto Gengar. The energy streams glow a brighter green as Serperior sucks away Gengar's own health to heal itself. Gengar closes his eyes and his sinister smile curves downward as it attempts to endure this attack, which is doing a number of Gengar, even though he is part Poison-type. Eventually, the energy streams fade away, as does the glow enveloping Serperior. Gengar falls to the ground, but is able to get back onto his feet, albeit feeling a little weary.

“Dragon Pulse!” Rosa commands, causing Valen to slightly raise his eyebrows in surprise. As Gengar attempts to regain his focus, Serperior opens her mouth and a vibrant green ball forms in front of it. Serperior fires the ball at Gengar, who takes a direct hit to the face, staggering backwards a few feet. However, Gengar manages to keep his footing.

“Well well, this a new development,” Valen notes in a slightly surprised tone—he doesn’t remember Rosa’s Serperior knowing the move Dragon Pulse.

“I had to teach Dragon Pulse to my Serperior, because that Salamence of yours is one terrifyingly powerful Pokémon, but he’s also so cool like his trainer!” Rosa gleefully explains with a broad grin, slightly trembling with excitement. “I still remember how many Team Plasma grunts he took down by himself! That was so incredibly awesome!”

“Heh, you should be focusing on Gengar,” Valen reminds Rosa, folding his arms, sporting a faint smile on his face. “You’ll get to see that dragon soon enough.”

"I'll just have to make you send him out!" Rosa proclaims, sporting a confident smile. "Battle Queen Rosa's going to defeat you, then you'll see that you need your dragon to win!"

"Hmph, keep dreaming," Valen teases, sporting a cocky smirk.

“Be careful what you wish for, sweetie,” Rosa playfully counters with a coy smile, while also giving Valen a flirtatious wink. "Sometimes, you're in my dreams."

 _“Sweetie? What’s that all about, and what’s with her facial expression?”_ Valen ponders to himself. " _Whatever, it’s probably nothing major.”_

"Oh noooo, I triggered Cursed Body!" Rosa yelps, snapping Valen back into focus. Rosa's just noticed that Serperior's been enveloped in a dark purple aura that's in the shape of Gengar. "Serperior can't use Dragon Pulse for a bit!"

"Reminds me of the time you forgot Moxie existed," Valen teases.

"Hmph, don't get so content," Rosa teases back.

"Are we gonna keep talking or are we gonna continue this battle?" Valen grins.

Rosa smirks, commanding, "Use Frenzy Plant!"

“Huh, I was wondering when she'd use that.” Valen remains mostly indifferent, despite the fact that Rosa's just commanded Serperior to use a very powerful attack against his Gengar.

Serperior’s body glows green again, and she slams her tail on the ground, causing massive roots with spikes on then to spring up all around Gengar, with all the roots striking Gengar at once, dealing a massive amount of damage. As Serperior pants, having still taking poison damage this entire time, Gengar appears falls to the ground defeated. However, Valen doesn’t say anything, as if he knows that something is off about the scene in front of him.

 _“Gengar looks like he was just defeated, but there’s something that just doesn’t feel right about this,”_ Valen ponders to himself, studying the battlefield, only to realize what Gengar's doing. _“Heh, that little trickster."_

“We did it! “We won! We actually defeated Valen!” Rosa states triumphantly, forming a fist with her right hand and raising it towards the sky. Despite panting due to being worn out from this battle and previous battles, Serperior lets out a victory cry. “We did it, we-huh?” Much to Rosa’s shock, Valen isn’t recalling his Gengar, remaining quiet with his eyes closed. Even more surprising to Rosa, a wide, confident smirk comes across Valen’s face, looking like he’s won or is about to win. “Uh, why aren’t you recalling your Gengar, and what’s with that face?” Rosa questions with her eyebrows raised, puzzled as to why Valen wouldn’t recall a Pokémon that has been defeated. After all, Gengar lost the battle, or has he?

“Use Shadow Ball,” Valen commands while still smirking with his eyes closed, surprising Rosa even more to the point where she jumps backwards. Gengar begins to snicker loudly, and he stands back up on his legs. It turns out that Gengar had faked being defeated. Rosa stares in amazement and disbelief as the Ghost-type Pokémon not only took a Frenzy Plant, but had enough energy to stand back up and launch a Shadow Ball attack at Serperior. Due to Frenzy Plant, Serperior can’t act right away. 

“S-Seriously?!” Rosa blurts out with her eyes widening, stunned as her Serperior is sent reeling from the black and purple sphere that Gengar had just launched. Rosa's battled many times, but not once has she encountered a Pokémon who faked being defeated.

“Never, ever let your guard down in a battle,” Valen states, narrowing his eyebrows downwards and still smirking. “This battle is now mine! Gengar, use Sludge Bomb!” Once again, Gengar opens his mouth and fires a barrage of brown sludge that glow purple at Serperior. This attack also hits, sending Serperior reeling further as she bows downwards.

“Uh oh,” Rosa nervously murmurs to herself with a tight-lipped smile, her eyes widening as she studies what’s happening in front of her.

Due to being struck by three powerful attacks in a row, being worn out from previous battles, and taking additional damage from poison, Serperior falls to the ground defeated. “Aieeeee! T-This wasn’t supposed to happen!” Rosa cries out, jumping up and down with her eyes closed in utter shock over what she's just witnessed.

"That's my boy," Valen compliments his Gengar. Both trainer and Pokémon exchange a fist bump.

“I’ve never had an opposing Pokémon fake their defeat before!” Rosa wails.

“His tactic was rather unusual for a battle,” Valen admits as he recalls his Gengar. “It took me a moment to figure out what he was doing.”

Rosa takes a deep breath. “I think I got a bit carried away,” Rosa admits in a more serious tone as she recalls her Serperior, but her joyful and energetic tone quickly returns. “Despite that, that battle was loads of fun! You’re still as strong as ever!” Rosa cheerfully says, clasping her hands in front of her with a broad smile and her eyes closed.

“Give yourself credit as well, as you’re also just as strong as I remembered,” Valen counters with a faint smile of approval. “Now, I’d say that we’d go be meeting Melanie, but she’s rather tired from everything she’s had to do lately. “You also need to meet Arthur, whenever he decides to show up again.”

“Oooh, a new friend for meeee!” Rosa perks up at this with her hands clasped in front of her face, slightly jumping by lifting her right foot off the ground. In addition to battling, Rosa also loves to meet and talk to people. “I can’t wait to see Melanie again as well!”

“Come on, walk with me,” Valen tells Rosa, tilting his head towards the entrance/exit as he looks at her. “We have some catching up to do.”

“Some catching up?! You're soooo silly, Valen!" Rosa giggles. "Try lots of catching up, as it’s been too long since I last saw you in the flesh!”

* * *

“I’m surprised to see you in Old Downtown,” Valen admits to Rosa as the two of them walk side by side down the cobblestone plaza walkway.

“I saw all these old and cool buildings and I was so amazed by them!” Rosa states in a highly peppy and jubilant manner, feeling like she just went back in time.

“So, how long are you staying in Calvana?” Valen asks, glancing rightward towards Rosa.

“I'm just visiting for now, but I’m considering living abroad in Calvana." Rosa smiles, giving Valen an affectionate smile. "I have never lived abroad before, and this region looks like so much fun."

"Is that why you picked this region for your goals?" Valen asks, sporting a faint, friendly smile. "You know, singing and making a name as a trainer abroad."

"Yep," Rosa replies. "This region's also a good place for me to try and achieve my goals in, plus I really wanted to see you in person again."

“If you're gonna live abroad here, I know somebody who can help you out,” Valen says. “He’s my boss, but he's also kinda a friend....maybe. His name's Dimitri Liniya, and he’s the head of Liniya Co.”

“Wow, you work for some big company now?!” Rosa reacts, gasping with her mouth slightly opened. The Valen that Rosa remembers didn’t have such a thing going for him. Rosa's gaping mouth curves into a excited grin. “I have to meet this guy too!”

“He want to get more involved with the tourism industry, so I can ask him to help you out if you decide you want to live abroad. Helping trainers move and live abroad is part of his plan.”

“Aw, that’s sweet of you!” Rosa professes, sporting a broad smile.

“It’s the least I can do,” Valen nonchalantly replies, shrugging his shoulders.

“Hey, have you contacted anybody else that you met abroad?” Rosa asks. "Calem, Serena, Lillie, Gladion, Silver, anybody?"

“Nope, it’s just you,” Valen replies, indifferent to what Rosa thinks of his decision, but he also believes that he made the right choice in contacting her.

“Wait, you still haven’t talked to anyone else from abroad?!” Rosa backs up a few feet. "You only wanted to reach out to me, like I'm the special one or something?!"

“You’re the only one I promised to come back for, even though I don’t exactly remember the specific words that I said,” Valen replies, shrugging his shoulders yet again. “I only wanted to reconnect with one person from abroad, and she’s standing right in front of me. I don’t like socializing, but let’s just say that I like you more than I hate socializing.”

“R-R-Really?! Y-You really mean it?!” Rosa asks as she blushes. Rosa looks away, sporting an affectionate grin. _“I hope he remembers that part of our relationship, because I do! Don’t get too flustered now when I drop that amazing piece of information on everybody, silly!”_

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Serperior can learn Dragon Pulse via move tutor in Gen 5, Gen 6, and Gen 7.
> 
> Rosa is twenty three in this story.
> 
> Did you enjoy seeing Rosa and Valen reunite in person? Any other thoughts about Rosa? How about the battle?
> 
> Revisions made to this chapter include extended dialogue, dialogue/text alterations, adding Cursed Body's activation, and added details.


	7. Missing the Obvious

Since Old Downtown is only a short distance from the towering skyscrapers of Angel City’s modern downtown, Valen's decided to take Rosa to where he works. Valen remembered that Dimitri asked him to do this, plus Dimitri called and asked Valen to meet up to discuss the tourism plan he's recently come up with. As per usual, Valen appears to be very disinterested, keeping his hands within his pockets. Behind that aloof and apathetic exterior of his, Valen’s actually having a pleasant time with Rosa. On the other hand, Rosa's definitely expressing how overjoyed she is.

“I left my home and now I see a new horizon, but one day I’ll come back to Unova! Rosa’s coming back, Rosa’s coming back!” Rosa cheerfully sings out loud like she’s the lead singer at a concert. “I’m on the road to become the greatest trainer, and I won’t quit until I’m number oneeeeee! Gotta be number one! Number one! Number one!”

“What does that have to do with anything?” Valen glances rightwards toward Rosa, bewildered by Rosa's seemingly random desire to sing. However, Valen can’t help but have a faint smile on his face, as he’s always adored the fact that Rosa’s a lot of fun to be around.

Rosa gives Valen a playful wink before resuming her jubilant singing. “We keep on trying, and then we try some more! To stay together, and find a place worth fighting for! Rosa’s on the road to Angel City! Meet my sweetie along the way!”

“First of all, we’re within the heart of Angel City, you silly girl,” Valen counters with the faintest of adoring smiles. “Secondly, we’re just meeting my boss, not partaking in some epic Pokémon battle. Thirdly, we’re just hanging out as friends. Lastly, I’m not gonna audition with you for Hoenn’s Got Talent, Sinnoh’s Got Talent, Unovan Idol, and definitely not Calvanian Idol.”

Rosa giggles over the fact that once again, Valen assumes that she’s just his friend, plus she finds Valen’s list of shows he won’t appear on to be adorably entertaining. However, Rosa decides to keep quiet for now, as the playful girl still wants to surprise Valen. “Tee-hee, I can't help it! I'm so happy about being in this region, and I’m even happier that I’m standing right next to you, because I missed you soooo much! That’s why I’m singing, you silly boy!”

“I’m happy as well, minus the random singing,” Valen replies. “However, you sing extremely well, and your voice is pleasant to the ears. I’ll give you major props for that.”

“Awww, thank you sweetie!” Maybe I’ll give you a private performance one day, big boooy.” Rosa gives Valen a flirtatious wink. “You can be my very personal security detail once I become a famous singer!”

_“Why does she keep calling me sweetie and big boy?”_ Valen blinks in confusion. 

“Soooooo, this is where you work, Valen?” Rosa inquires, mesmerized by the narrow, rectangular juggernaut of a skyscraper towering in front of her. The Liniya Corporation’s headquarters is a seventy story tall office building, built in the 1920s in the Modernist style of architecture. “Tee-hee, I like the dark blue color! It matches your eyes, my Valey sweetie!” Rosa happily compliments, noting how the entire building's dark blue all around, with no noticeable deviations in the color scheme.

“Technically, this is where I work, but I don’t actually work inside the building more than half of the time,” Valen explains to Rosa, faintly smiling over her odd but pleasant compliment. “I mainly work as private security when needed, plus I have done research multiple times. That being said, I think my role within the company might be changing. You’ll find out what I mean soon enough.”

“Hey, how strong is this Dimitri guy as a trainer?!” Rosa inquires, as she’s eager to battle more local trainers. “As Battle Queen Rosa, I must know how strong he is!”

“Well, I battled him recently, and it only took two hits for me to realize that my Typhlosion and I were outmatched. She realized it too,” Valen humbly admits, remembering the short battle he had with Dimitri a few days ago.

“W-What?! Really?!” Rosa asks, her eyes having widened. “My super duper ultra awesome Valey sweetie was actually outmatched?! Oh nooooooo!”

“Yep, but it is what it is,” Valen concedes as he shrugs his shoulders. “He doesn’t battle much, but if you talk to other trainers, you’ll run into a rumor that Dimitri is stronger than our champion.”

“S-Seriously?! He’s that strong?!” Rosa quavers as she jumps back a few feet in shock, becoming a tad bit nervous afterwards. “Um, m-maybe I’ll s-save that battle for another time!”

Valen and Rosa walk on the concrete steps in order to enter the Liniya Corporation’s headquarters through the automatic glass doors. Both Valen and Rosa hear the sounds of televisions, people murmuring back and forth, the dings of an elevator, among other noises. Nevertheless, the lobby's got a rather calm, quaint vibe to it.

“W-Woah, this lobby is like the size of an entire house!” Rosa's taken aback by the sheer size of the lobby, whose interior walls are also dark blue. Rosa glances to her left, and sees a large number of chairs and several tables, plus a flat screen television. To her right, Rosa sees a large fountain flowing with water, plus more sofa, chairs, desks, and another flat screen television.

“That might be a bit of exaggeration, but it's big,” Valen replies with a faint, mischievous smirk. _“Will she fall for my trap?”_

“It’s not just big, it’s very big!” Rosa corrects, causing Valen to faintly laugh.

“That’s what she said,” Valen teases, his mouth having curved into a devious grin. _“Yes, she fell for my favorite joke! Success!”_

Rosa freaks out, as she realizes that Valen still has his rather dirty sense of humor after such a long time. “H-Hey! T-That’s not a-appropriate at all!” Rosa scolds as her face reddens, while nearby onlookers chuckle at the situation unfolding right in front of their eyes. “M-Make a-appropriate jokes towards an innocent girl like me!”

“Hahahahahaha, you fell right into my trap!” Valen proudly grins. “You’re even easier to mess with than Melanie!”

“M-Meanie face! Only meanie faces do this to innocent girls!” Rosa bellows as her face burns bright red with embarrassment. “I-I w-want the cool and sweet Valey, n-not the meanie prankster Valey who loves dirty jokes!”

Valen walks to the center of the lobby towards the receptionist’s large circular desk, as Rosa runs to catch up with him, their shoes making a tapping sound as they walk on the tiled floor, finished in maroon paint.

“Ah, hello Valen,” the female receptionist remarks.

“Hey, can you let Dimitri know I’m here?” Valen asks, balancing his head on his right elbow, while his right palm rests on the white desk.

“There is no need, as I am right here,” Dimitri calls out from further within the lobby. “I see that for the first time since you've been here, you've finally brought a friend along.”

“Yep, this is Rosa,” Valen introduces. “She’s the girl from Unova I told you about.”

With a polite smile, Dimitri turns to look at Rosa. “It is nice to meet you. My name is Dimitri Liniya, and I am the President and CEO of the Liniya Corporation.”

“Hiiii, it’s nice to meet you too!” Rosa cheerfully proclaims. “If you’re Valey’s friend, then you’re also my friend!"

“You are quite the cheerful and energetic girl, aren't you?”

“Tee-hee, that’s right! More importantly, Valen should wear a outfit just like yours!” Rosa states, pointing with her right index finger at Dimitri’s pearly white suit, his matching dress pants, and his dark red tie. “My knight needs to look dashing!”

“Your...prince? Dimitri asks, staring and blinking in confusion. “Valen’s your knight?”

“Yeeeep, Valey is my prince!” Rosa proudly declares with her eyes closed, folding her arms and emitting an feeling of triumph. “He helped to fight off Team Plasma when they tried to cause trouble in my home city, and then our eyes met, and it was almost love at first sight! It was like a fairytale had come true for meeeee! Kyaaaaaaa!” As Rosa gushes, she envisions herself as a princess, whom imaginary knight Valen is approaching via his Salamence. “One day, I’ll become his wife!” Rosa envisions a fairytale of a fairytale book showing Knight Valen and Princess Rosa kissing after having just gotten married.

“Don’t look at me, because I have no idea what she means by any of that, especially not the last one,” Valen counters, shrugging his shoulders as he glances to his left towards Rosa. “As for you, do you actually think I care about what people think about my fashion sense?”

“Oooooh, you’re right!” Rosa happily replies, re-opening her eyes. “Tee-hee, I love that about you soooooo much! You’re such a rebel, and you’re also really sweet!”

“I’m sweet?” Valen questions. “Interesting...I don't seem to recall that part of me.”

“Ooooh, you want to do this the hard way, big boooy?” Rosa’s eyelids flutter as she gives Valen a provocative smile, placing a finger on her lower lip. “You know you can’t defeat meeee.”

”Actually, I can defeat you.” Valen smirks.

”Nooooooo, you can’t.”

”Yes, I can.”

 _“Seriously, how does he not realize what she is implying when it is so obvious?”_ Dimitri thinks to himself. Dimitri clears his throat, stating, “Valen, I think you must maintain our custom, and show our visitor from Unova the majestic Black Crown Stadium at some point.”

“Will do, Dimitri,” Valen replies.

“Black Crown Stadium?” Rosa asks.

“It is where our Pokémon League, the Calvana Conference, is held annually,” Dimitri explains. “It is one of Angel City’s most famous landmarks.”

“Hey, have you ever won the Calvana Conference?” Rosa asks Valen, glancing to her right in his direction, eagerly awaiting a yes.

“Melanie’s won it twice, but I never was good enough to win the Calvana Conference,” Valen replies.

”Noooooooooo!” Rosa wails. “Rosa will squish them if they don’t let you win! Rosa squish them for Valey! Rosa will squish all of them for Valey! Roar, Rosa mad! Grrr, Rosa smash!”

“However, once you do get your invitation, it’s a permanent invitation with no strings attached,” Valen explains, fighting back against any potential sign of blushing. _“Phew, I managed to avoid blushing. She’s so adorable that it’s unsafe.”_

“I have gotten my invitation, though I do not recall if I ever entered,” Dimitri chimes in. _“Also, why did he just blatantly lie to her?”_

“Wait, if there’s a league and an Elite Four, how come Calvana doesn’t have any gyms?” Rosa questions. “I asked where the gym is within Angel City, and it was sooooooo embarrassing afterwards! Oh my gosh, my face was redder than a Charmeleon’s skin when someone told me there are no gyms here!” Rosa cries out as her face reddens. “Valen, please make the embarrassment go away with a hug or a kiss! I prefer both!”

“What?” A dumbfounded Valen asks in a deadpan tone.

“She is the most jovial and energetic person that I have ever met,” Dimitri amusingly notes with a friendly smile. “Your most recent reaction aside, even someone like you seems to liven up around her, Valen.”

“Yep, things are way less boring when she’s around,” Valen admits, giving Rosa a faint smile.

“Tee-hee, I’m the anti-boredom and the anti-sadness girl!” Rosa reverts back to her usual demeanor, infectiously smiling while giving a peace sign with her right index finger and middle finger.

“In any case, part of the reason why we do not have any gyms here is tradition. Aside from tweaks when it was necessary, the region has maintained the basis of its tournament structure since the year 1755,” Dimitri explains. "In addition, Calvana is a massive region with both large, populated cities and remote areas where you could go over a day without running into anyone else."

“W-Woah, it’s that old?!” Rosa exclaims. "The region's that massive?"

“The tournament structure’s so difficult that locals call it the Big Punisher, or Big Pun for short,” Valen chimes in, fighting off the mental urge to drop his favorite joke a second time.

“Thanks for telling me this super cooooool information!” Rosa jumps up and down in excitement. "Be on guard, Calvana! Battle Queen Rosa's in the house!

“It’s the least we can do,” Valen replies. "Also, chill. Otherwise, I'm gonna have to defeat you in battle again." "Ooooh, you think you can defeat me a second time?" Rosa

“In any case, shall we go up to my office to discuss the plan?” Dimitri asks, faintly smiling. 'Perhaps she can help Valen accept his own strength."

“Sure, but can Rosa come with me?”

“Yes, she can.”

“Yay, I get to be a part of a special meeting! That means I’m special too! Yaaaay!”

* * *

Dimitri has brought Valen and Rosa to the top floor via the elevator. The top floor of the skyscraper is where Dimitri’s office is. The dark blue walls have various paintings and large photographs on them, with two gigantic, rectangular windows behind his wooden desk and his black, office chair.

“Trainer Tourism Program, eh?” Valen asks Dimitri.

“Yes, the idea is to help pay for trainers to visit, as well as helping them settle in case they want to live abroad in Calvana,” Dimitri explains as folds his hands while placing his elbows on his desk. “I will admit that it sounds pretty basic, but it could go a long way. Outside of this program, I will also direct funds to promoting and maintaining the region itself, starting with Angel City. We have many attractions here as is, whether one is a Pokémon trainer or not.”

“Anything else?” Valen asks.

“Well, yes,” Dimitri replies. “I have asked various contacts from other regions to assist me in this program, such as Pokémon Professors, Gym Leaders, Elite Four Members, and Champions. After all, they will be more familiar with their local talent than I would be.”

“It sounds decent enough. Sometimes, basic is the best way to go,” Valen responds as he folds his arms. “However, you do remember how we greet trainers from abroad here, don’t you?”

“Of course,” Dimitri replies with a faint smile.

“Valen, what’re you talking about?” Rosa inquires, staring in confusion.

“I challenged you to battle because in this region, that’s how a lot of locals trainers greet trainers from abroad,” Valen explains with his arms still folded. “We don’t talk, we fight.”

“Wow, that’s so cool!” Rosa jumps up and down in excitement. "You welcome people by battling?! I have a friend in Unova who’d looove this region solely because of that! She’s all about battling, just like meeee!”

“So, what do you think of our home region, Rosa?” Dimitri inquires.

“It’s soooooo awesome!” I more I learn about this region, the more I want to make it my home away from home!” Rosa excitedly affirms. “I get to have lots of battles, I get to meet lots of people, and learn lots of cool things! It sounds like so much fun! The best part is that I have Valen with me! I missed him a lot, like a super duper ultra amount!”

“I won’t complain,” Valen states with a hint of delight. “Maybe I’ll start to have fun more often.”

“No maybe, mister!” Rosa glares at Valen, frustrated by his attitude. “You’ll have lots of fun! Got it?! You’re one of the main reasons I came here, mister!”

“Yes, mother,” Valen sarcastically responds with a faint smirk. "Should I pack clean underwear too? How about a new toothbrush? Are you gonna tuck me in at night after reading me a bedtime story?"

“Hey, I already told you to be nice! I want sweetie Valey, not meanie Valey!” Rosa closes her eyes, her facing reddening out of embarrassment.

Then, Valen hears a text message and takes out his phone to check it. Valen smiles when he sees that it’s Melanie who texted him. “Oh hey, Melanie got bored and wants to meet up, and Arthur finally came out of hiding.”

“I’ll join you in a few minutes!” Rosa tells Valen as the latter walks towards the elevator, holding up his right hand to acknowledge Rosa’s words. Then, Rosa approaches Dimitri to quietly ask him questions.

“Heeeeeey, can you please tell me more information about Valen? I have questions, and this guy isn’t exactly that open anymore. Like, I don't even know where he lives, if he likes the same food as before, if he likes the same type of movies as before, if he’s single, and if he still loves meeeeee,” Rosa whispers to Dimitri as she points back at Valen, who has just entered into the elevator. After the elevator door closes, Rosa suddenly freaks out. "Oh nooooooo, what if my Valey really doesn't love me anymore?! Nooooooooo, he’s irreplaceable as my knight!”

 _"Yep, I thought so,"_ Dimitri tells himself. _"She has a crush on him.”_

“Also, I’d like more information on this awesome plan of yours!” Rosa exclaims. “I’ve got friends who’d like to visit this region, including the one who’s also from Unova. I also want to live abroad here but don’t tell Valey! I wanna surprise him!”

“Very well, I shall answer all your questions,” Dimitri replies with a friendly smile. “I shall also help you settle into this region.”

“Yay, thanks!” Rosa joyfully exclaims, as Valen can’t hear it because he's very likely back in the ground floor lobby at this point.

“However, may I ask you a question of my own?”

“Sure, go ahead!” Rosa happily replies with her eyes closed.

“How exactly do you view Valen?” Dimitri asks. “As a friend, or-”

“Oh, that’s an easy question!” Rosa giggles, her face reddening as she re-opens her eyes. “He’s my boyfriend! I love him soooo much! Can you imagine if I actually became his wife?! Kyaaaaaaaaaa, marry me! Valey, marry meeeee!” Rosa jumps up and down, her eyes sparkling like a magnificent gemstone.

“I had a feeling that is how you viewed him, but I wanted to ask you directly,” Dimitri admits, faintly laughing over Rosa’s demeanor. “Valen is certainly not a bad person to have as a friend, but he can be very oblivious to people's feelings in general, including his own. I even had to force him to take a vacation, which I have now extended until further notice for obvious reasons.”

“Ooooh, so Valey’s now a hard one to catch?!” Rosa giggles again. “Yaaaaay, it will be soooo much more fun this way! Now, prepare for my questions, Dimitri!”

 _“In any case, this program seems like it will go well,”_ Dimitri thinks to himself.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Modernism architecture was prevalent for a good chunk of the 20th century, while the origins of modernism itself dates back to the 19th century.
> 
> I don’t think I need to explain any Pokémon references, song or not, but lemme know if you think that I should with Y/N.
> 
> That league nickname is a homage to the late rapper Big Pun, whose tied with the late Big L as my favorite. 
> 
> Thoughts on this chapter?
> 
> Revisions made to this chapter include extended dialogue, dialogue/text alterations, and added details.


	8. Valen’s “Dirty” Little Secret

Valen and Rosa have met up with Melanie within an outdoor plaza that’s not far away from Liniya Corporation’s HQ. Even though there are a few empty tables around, they decide to stand, their shadows being eclipsed by the shadows of the towering skyscrapers that surround the plaza. It’s a warm day, but their sneakers prevent them from feeling the heat on the plaza’s concrete floor.

“It’s nice to finally be out in public and not be swarmed by trainers.” Melanie sports a content smile, noting that even though that while there is a number of people and Pokémon, none seem interested in a battle at this time. “You usually won’t find those type of trainers in a place like this, hence why I picked this spot.”

“It’s been a while, Melanie!” Rosa cheerfully exclaims.

“Indeed, it’s been a while since we’ve seen each other in person,” Melanie addresses, turning her head leftwards towards Rosa. “I’m glad to see you’re still as lively as ever.”

“Tee-hee, Rosa is the anti-boredom girl!” Rosa proclaims, sporting a broad grin.

“Valen, how did you become acquainted with her?” Arthur questions.

“I befriended her in Unova years ago.” Valen reminisces about his time with Rosa in Unova. “After reconnecting with Melanie and meeting you, I’ve been discreetly speaking to her.”

“Looks like you’ve started to change,” Melanie delightfully observes. 

“Not really, I’m still mostly the same.” Valen shrugs his shoulders, having not spoken to anyone else from his past besides Melanie and Rosa. “However, Rosa was a blast to hang out with, so I made an exception for her. I doubt I’ll be adding to my circle beyond Rosa anytime soon.”

"I'm glad you at least reached out to Rosa," Melanie replies, playfully flicking Valen on his forehead. "I better see you two together frequently."

"Or what?" Valen teases, sporting a faint smile.

"Don't test me." Melanie playfully flicks Valen on his forehead again.

“It is with great pleasure that I make your acquaintance, Rosa,” Arthur politely greets as he bows. “My name is Arthur.”

“Tee-hee, you’re so formal!” Rosa cheerfully replies in response to Arthur’s behavior and demeanor. “Nice to meet you too, and your clothes look so old but are so well preserved!” Rosa keenly studies Arthur’s trench-coat like suit, finished in a darker shade of brown.

“Actually, they are modern reproductions of Victorian era clothing,” Arthur politely corrects.

“Tee-hee, that brown outfit really fits you!” Rosa proclaims.

”Your kind remark is very much appreciated,” Arthur replies.

“Rosa’s a pretty strong Pokémon Trainer herself,” Valen informs Melanie and Arthur. “You two should have a battle with her sometimes. Battling is her favorite thing to do.”

Suddenly, Rosa begins to panic. “Oh nooooo, I just realized that you haven’t still picked up on the most important thing, Valen!” Rosa has placed her right hand over her mouth. “I made it so obvious, yet you totally missed it! Why was I giggling?! This is a serious matter! Oh nooooooo!”

“What did I miss?” Valen asks, blinking at Rosa as he fakes confusion. _"Please don't say it."_

“Only the most important part!” Rosa jumps up and down, pouting in annoyance. “Like, the most super duper ultra very important part!”

“I’m sure it’s not a big deal.” Valen confidently smirks, firmly believing that he can handle whatever Rosa’s about to say. At least, that's the attitude he wants to be seen having. _"Please don't say it. Please don't say it. Please don't say it. Please don't say it."_

“It’s a very big deal, mister!” Rosa pouts as she folds her arms in irritation. “You didn’t tell them that you’re my boyfriend! No more fun and games. Please admit that you are still my Valey sweetie!”

"Oh come on! W-Wait, I meant to say....um.....err-“ Valen attempts to speak with a wide-eyed expression while starting to sweat. “Errr....wait wait wait, you can’t just-”

“Why’d you keep this a secret?!” Melanie cuts Valen off as she folds her arms, glaring at Valen with her eyebrows narrowed downwards. "Actually, why did both of you keep this a secret? I didn't know you two were still together."

“This just got very intriguing,” Arthur notes with his right thumb and index finger on his chin.

“D-Do-Don’t l-lo-look at me like that!” Valen shrieks at Melanie and Arthur as he sweats profusely. “I-I h-ha-had no prior k-kno-know-knowledge of this! I d-do-don't even know what the word b-bo-boyfriend means!"

“Valen, you’ll always be one of my besties!” Rosa affirms with jubilation, slightly jumping in the air for a brief moment. Then, Rosa smiles mischievously and places her hands on her hips. “However, since you decided to go poof on me, I decided to take charge.” Rosa gives Valen a flirtatious smile. "You don't leave the queen like that, big boy."

“H-How can y-yo-you even make such a decision when our h-home r-regions are so far apart?!” Valen fires back while directing his gaze away from Rosa. Calvana and Unova are on the opposite ends of each other, and trekking between Aspertia City and Angel City on land can take up to two weeks. While a flight would certintely be much quicker, it's likely that Rosa didn't even travel by air, as this lively girl loves sightseeing too much to do so. 

“Tsk tsk tsk, somebody doesn’t know what a long distance relationship is,” Rosa playfully counters, wagging her right index finger with her eyes closed. “This region looks like so much fun, and now we can be together again! Also, I’m only a year younger than you, so I’m a big girl who can move here if she wants to!”

“Alas, poor Valen. I knew thy well,” Arthur jokingly comments. “It appears that we have inadvertently located the sole individual who can cause Valen to completely abandon his composure.”

“It’s both amusing and unnerving at the same time,” Melanie chimes in, warmly smiling as she remembers when she first met Rosa. Whenever Valen called her from abroad, he always had something to say about Rosa. “He always had a big smile on his face whenever he talked about her, or was with her. They were so adorable together.”

“D-Do-Don’t decide things w-with-without my p-per-permission!” Valen bashfully rebukes, his eyes widening further with the whites showing. _"No, don't blush! Don't blush!"_ Valen mentally scolds himself as he feels his pulse racing.

“Maybe you shouldn’t have been rarer to locate than a Mew for so long, you bad booooy!” Rosa counters with a coy smile and a flirtatious, playful wink.

“T-That is-isn’t an excuse to b-bli-blind-blindside me!” Valen bashfully retorts.

“You’re so adorable when you’re flustered!” Rosa beams, her eyes sparkling as she hands clasped next to her right cheek. “You’re soooo cool, sweet and adorable! Kyaaaaaaa!”

“D-Do-Don’t call me a-ador-adorable!” Valen feels weakness in his knees and legs. _"This girl's so damn cute and beautiful that it's unsafe!"_

“I thought you didn’t care what people think of you, so whatcha gonna do about it, big boooy?” Rosa flirtatiously teases, her eyelids fluttering as she places a finger on her lower lip. Rosa giggles as Valen closes his eyes and grumbles in annoyance. “I told you that you wouldn’t escape me this time, and I also found out what neighborhood you live in, thanks to your boss.” Rosa states as she turns to face away from Valen with her arms folded, her eyes closed and with a confident smile.

“N-N-N-Nooooooooooooooooooo!” Valen shrieks towards the sunny sky, having been startled enough to grab his disheveled spiky hair. _"I'm going to be exposed at this rate!"_

“Quite the high-spirited lass, isn’t she?” Arthur asks.

“l haven’t seen Valen act this flustered in a long time,” Melanie replies. “Her personality seems to bring out the old him far more than anyone else, me included. However, I still can’t tell if that’s a good thing or a bad thing in this case.”

“Hmph, d-do w-what you want,” Valen tells Rosa, trying very hard to keep his composure with a faint glimmer of blushing that nobody can pick up on, much to his relief. Valen places his hands in his pockets and he decides it’s time for him to saunter off.

“Hold up, where are you going?” Melanie inquires before Valen is about to exit the plaza, onto a concrete sidewalk in between two towering skyscrapers.

“S-So-Some-Somewhere f-far away that is none of your concern,” Valen responds, feeling fluttery in his stomach as he walks off. “I-I’m not fan of so-soap o-op-operas.”

”You know you can’t hide from me, my sweetie,” Rosa mutters to herself in amusement as Valen walks out of sight. “You really did forget the exact words you told me. Also, you can never stay mad at me, assuming you’re actually mad at me and not just hiding your dirty little secret.”

Melanie decides that it's time to get serious. “Rosa, I don’t think you’ve gotten an explanation as to why he vanished, did you?” Melanie asks as she folds her arms again, glancing to her right at Rosa.

“Now that you mentioned it, he didn’t say why,” Rosa curiously admits as she reopens her eyes, glancing over to her left towards Melanie. 

“I would like to know this information as well, as I too have been kept in the dark about his military service.” Arthur requests.

“Well, I’ll tell both of you everything that I’m aware of." Melanie sighs. "It's for his own good."

* * *

Valen's gone back to his house, and is currently laying on his bed, pondering about the sudden development he had just encountered. “I knew reconnecting would be a pain, but I’m happy to see her. Secretly, I missed her a lot.” Valen remarks to himself, staring blankly at his white, marble ceiling as the antique, bronze clock within his antique, walnut bookshelf ticks by the second. “...However, just what exactly has gotten into her? I’m not a particularly memorable guy, and I’m definitely different now, why me? Why the guy that left her out to dry?” Valen ponders out loud.

Valen turns his head to his left, towards his bookshelf to look at the one photograph he did take with him to his current residence: A photograph of Valen and his team from many years ago that sits within the center top of the enclosed bookshelf, just below the curved arch. The framed photograph shows Valen as a pre-teen alongside a Bagon, a Kirlia, a Quilava, and a Luxio. Also in the picture are a Poliwag and a Bounsweet. Valen’s Poliwrath and Tsareena currently reside with his mother’s parents in Redwood Town. He wanted them to take care of his grandparents. "....Whatever, I don’t wanna be a player no more,” Valen remarks as he continues to stare at the photograph. “At least Rosa is actually fun to be around."

* * *

Rosa, Melanie, and Arthur are still standing within the outdoor plaza. Melanie's just explained most of what happened to Valen to Rosa.

“W-What?! T-That’s why he hasn’t been in touch?!” Rosa exclaims in disbelief as she places her right hand over her mouth, trembling in horor. “Valen's become this cold and aloof? He was so outgoing, kind and sweet! He even took the time to look for me in person!”

“He didn’t keep in touch with me either, so I had to find him,” Melanie explains, letting out a sigh. “He’s never said anything about what he saw while fighting in the war in Orre, but he has told me a couple of additional things that explain a lot. The first is that he received two medals, one of which is the Purple Shield, which means he was wounded in combat. According to him, he was hit by machine gun fire.”

It’s at this point when Rosa’s eyes start to become moist, as the reality of what happened to Valen sets in for this normally high spirited girl. “H-He was actually wounded?! Valen was wounded by gunfire?!”

“He said that he made a fully recovery, but I'm skeptical.” Melanie somberly admits, trying to avoid shedding tears. “When he told me what unit he was in during the war, it hit me. His unit found the mass graveyards filled with the regime’s victims.”

“No wonder the bloke seems like such a downer,” Arthur notes. “Even the most optimistic and jovial of individuals would be driven to this point of extreme cynicism and bitterness upon seeing that, on top of having been wounded.”

Rosa leans back against the plaza’s silver railing with her palms resting on the way. She bows her head, staring at the concrete while trying very hard to fight back her tears. “I wish I had known about this sooner. I’m starting to understand why he....maybe I should have asked his mom how he was doing....instead of assuming that he was fine.” Rosa grimaces. She's deeply ashamed of herself, thinking, _“I’m sorry, Valen! I failed you!”_

“I had thought he’d start to improve faster, but it’s been a really slow process,” Melanie admits, sighing as she places her hands on her hips. Valen refuses to make this easy for her. “He sells himself short, he really doesn’t like to socialize or express himself, and any genuine happiness is brief.”

Rosa can't take it anymore, and she begins to cry. “The poor guy was and is suffering, and that hurts,” Rosa laments as she uses her left hand to wipe away the tears that are streaming down her face. “That hurts me more than anything else. I’m sorry.....I’m sorry that I didn’t try to make sure you were okay.” Rosa’s sobbing becomes louder as her stream of tears turns into an overflowing river. “I’m a horrible friend and an even worse girlfriend! I wasn’t there for you when you needed me the most! I failed you, Valen! I’m so sorry, Valen! I’m so sorry that I failed you!”

Melanie and Arthur glance at each other, looking concerned for Rosa. Then, Melanie glances back at Rosa, encouraging, “He could use someone as lively as you around, so wipe away those tears and turn Valen into a happier person!” Rosa perks up upon hearing Melanie’s encouragement, wiping away her tears as she becomes more motivated to help Valen. “I think the happiest Valen has ever been was when he was with you."

“Of course I can help out my sweetie, and I’m getting right on it!” Rosa cheerfully proclaims out loud, her sorrow having been replaced by an ever greater degree of jubilation and motivation. “I'm now Super Rosa!” Rosa forms a fist with her right hand and raises it above her head towards the sky.”

“Not only did she cheer up rapidly, but now she’s calling herself Super Rosa?” Arthur murmurs, starting blankly in confusion.

“That’s right, I am Super Rosa, and we are the Rosa Rescue Rangers!” Rosa announces with a radiant smile, bringing her right hand down and using her left hand to point towards the sky. “As the most valiant warrior in the kingdom, I shall lead the charge to assist Valey against unhappiness, his mortal enemy!”

 _“Seriously?”_ Melanie rolls her eyes. _"She’s going to call us something she named after herself?"_

“Pardon my intrusion, but do you even know where he is?” Arthur inquires.

“Uh....um....n-no I don’t,” Rosa reluctantly admits with her head bowed down. “A little help would be appreciated.”

“Knowing Valen, either he’s lying on a bench, or he’s lying in bed at his home up in the northeastern part of Angel City,” Melanie chimes in. 

“Ah, then I’ll check his neighborhood!” Rosa exclaims, lifting her head up in high spirits with a jubilant expression on her face.

“Arthur and I will check his other usual spots, even though I know he won’t tell us where he is.”

“Rosa Rescue Rangers, it’s time to move out!” Rosa says with enthusiasm. One again, Rosa forms a fist with her right hand and raising it into the air. 

“Hey, don’t call us that!” Melanie blurts out in annoyance. “Your help's appreciated and needed, but don’t name a group after yourself!”

“That name has quite the stupendous rhythm to it,” Arthur chimes in.

“Be quiet!” Melanie barks. “Don’t encourage it!”

“Your impudence is unnecessary and inappropriate,” Arthur counters. “Please enroll yourself into a educational institution to learn the behavior of a proper lass, thank you.”

“Who uses the word impudence?!" Melanie retorts.

“I am a gentlemen who uses whatever language I wish to use in any given situation, Melanie,” Arthur counters, smiling proudly while placing his right hand over his upper chest with his eyes closed.

“My Valey’s really cool, but he’s also really sweet, and I love that he can be both!” Rosa gushes! sparkling eyes and with her hands clasped in front of her chin. “You should have seen him a few days after we first ran into each other! He was sooooo coooooool and the sweetest thing ever!”

 _“Wait, the current Valen can be sweet? Old Valen was, but the current Valen of all people?!”_ Melanie thinks to herself. _“Is she thinking properly?”_

 _“I would really like to know what the bloody hell did I get myself roped into,”_ Arthur thinks to himself as he re-opens his eyes.

* * *

Rosa's just entered Valen’s historic neighborhood, which dates back to the 1880s. Rosa glances at the houses, feeling like she just got sent back into time. A sight breeze rustles Rosa’s clothes and hair, as well as the nearby lush grass and leaves on the tall trees. The afternoon sun gleams over the neighborhood’s Gothic Revival style houses of the Victorian era, all of which are either two story or three story houses, and are finished in a variety of colors. Some houses are cream, others are black, others are royal maroon, and so on. As she walks down the old. cobblestone sidewalk, this lively girl can't help but sing. “A girl from Aspertia with a brand new world to seeeeee! Don’t know what’s ahead, but it won’t get the best of meeeeee! There’s so much to learn and battles to be woooooon! I’ve advanced so far and still there’s always more to comeeeee! Take a step and I'm on my way! I'm gonna start all over again! I wanna be a heroooooo! I’m Rooooosa Advanced! I’m on my waaaay! I wanna be a heroooooo, just give me one chance! The future will decide—if there’s a herooooooo buried deep insideeeeee! I wanna be a heroooooo!"

“Where’s the singing audition being held at?” Valen jokes, faintly smiling as he calls out to Rosa from his front yard. "Do I get free tickets because I'm your boy?"

“Hiiii, Valen! Tee-hee, you'll get VIP passes to all my concerts!” Rosa beams a winsome smile at Valen, who’s standing in front of the railing of his front porch. “Your house's also old and cool. This whole neighborhood's old and cool, Yay, old and cool!” Rosa happily exclaims, still feeling like she was just transported back in time as her eyes fixate on the black three story house. Rosa notes that the aged house gives off a creepy vibe. but she's not bothered by it.

“I’ve always had a thing for old buildings, and this house was completed in the late 19th century,” Valen replies, glancing back at his house, fixated on it with a feeling of appreciation. “I saw this house when visiting this neighborhood years ago when I was a fairly new trainer, but it was abandoned afterwards. Nobody wanted it because everybody who did move into it kept moving out suddenly, so it was very cheap.”

Valen was about to spend some time with his Pokémon when he spotted Rosa. Thus, Valen turns to his team of Pokémon, whom are relaxing on the lush, front lawn. “Hey, say hi to your old friend." All six Pokémon comply and appear to greet Rosa. Salamence and Typhlosion let out slight roars, Gengar waves hello, Gardevoir folds her arms and acknowledges Rosa with her eyes closed. Luxray and Golisopod pretend to be disinterested but still acknowledge her presence, which is pretty similar to how their trainer tends to act."

“Woah, it’s your entire team!” Rosa excitingly notes the presence of all six Pokémon, and Valen can’t help but feel a little bit happy inside at how genuinely delighted Rosa is to see his entire team. “The ferocious Salamence, the mischievous Gengar, the fiery Typhlosion, the elegant Gardevoir, the electrifying Luxray, and the menacing Golisopod! They all look amazing together!” Rosa joyfully exclaims with her hands clasped in front of her mouth. Valen’s Pokémon look visibly happy, with all of them closing their eyes in delight over the words Rosa used to describe them.

“That’s a rather descriptive response, but you were always this vivacious,” Valen responds, trying to keep the faint hint of happiness he’s feeling inside of him. Valen vividly remembers that Rosa’s smile is an infectious one. “So, what brings you here?”

“Valey, the Rosa Rescue Rangers are here to assist you!” Rosa asserts triumphantly, turning sideways as she points at Valen with her right ring finger, and places her left hand on her hip. “As the leader, Super Rosa, I forbid all sadness!”

“The Rosa Rescue Rangers?” Valen ponders as he stares blankly and blinks in confusion over Rosa’s name choices. “Super Rosa?”

“I am Super Rosa and my Rosa Rescue Rangers will help you be a happier person!” Rosa asserts again like she’s a super heroine within an action movie. “Together, we can defeat unhappiness, your mortal enemy! As your heroine, warrior, angel, leader, princess, queen, friend, girlfriend, future fiancé, and future wife, I command you to smile!”

“Well, this is an interesting development,” Valen remarks as he blinks in confusion again, unsure what to make of this situation. “A very interesting development, to say the least.”

Things go momentarily silent with only the same breeze making any noise. The silence is broken when Valen loses his composure again, but in a different way than he did earlier. “Super Rosa and the Rosa Rescue Rangers...I can’t take this. Hahahahahaha, I can’t...this is too much,” Valen murmurs as he places his hand over his mouth, tearing up while desperately trying to contain his laughter, but his attempt quickly fails. Valen does something he hasn’t done in a while; he erupts with genuine laughter, much to Rosa’s embarrassment.

“D-don’t laugh!” A red-faced Rosa demands as she backs up a few feet. “T-This is serious! S-Serious responses only!”

“I’m sorry, but the fact that you’re being serious make this so funny that even someone like me can’t contain the laughter!” Valen howls, placing his hands on his ribs as he cries laughing. “I can’t believe somebody actually made me laugh this much!” Valen’s Pokémon are taken aback by this and look at each other in confusion, shock, and disbelief. All expect for Gengar, as the grinning ghost joins Valen in laughing. Then, Gengar realizes that he can pull off his favorite antic, so the mischievous Pokémon vanishes into the ground, snickering to himself as he secretly heads towards Rosa to pull said antic.

“I-It’s not f-funny!” Rosa wails as her face reddens even more.

At this moment, Gengar decides to make his presence known behind Rosa by re-appearing in the ground. Valen sees this and a faint smirk comes across his face. “Hey, I see a ghost behind you.”

”Fineeeeeee, I’ll play along!” Rosa responds as she turns around. Then, Gengar quickly materializes into its full form and jumps up while laughing. “EEEEEEYYYYAAAAA!” Rosa screams very loudly in terror as she jumps backwards, having been startled by the mischief loving Pokémon. Gengar roars with laughter, extremely pleased with his antic.

“Nobody wanted this house because a Gengar was haunting it, so when I got the house for super cheap when I was seventeen, I caught said Gengar and added him to my team.” 

“Y-You intentionally bought a haunted house and didn’t even care that it was haunted?!” Rosa exclaims, raising her eyebrows upwards. Rosa’s spooked than Valen did something like this, and she sweats nervously. Could a being from another world be watching people from behind one of the large, arched windows? What if there’s an entity standing behind Valen, waiting to take them both to somewhere unknown? 

“Yep, that about sums it up,” Valen states in a level headed but victorious manner with his arms folded. “Say what you want about my tastes or my humor, but I usually don’t care what other people think about me.”

Despite being spooked, Rosa’s still able pull herself together. “I-” Rosa begins to speak as she turns around to at Valen, her mouth curved into an affectionate, ear-to-ear smile. “I love that attitude of yours!” Rosa affirms her feelings with sparkling eyes, clasping her hands next the right side of her head.

“Huh?!” Valen loudly asks in disbelief. 

“You bought a house knowing that it was haunted, and you didn’t even care!” Rosa gushes with her eyes still sparkling and her hands still clasped. “You even caught the Gengar that was haunting it! Oh my gooooosh, why are you soooooo cooooool?! You even went to the trouble of looking for me, which was sooooooo sweet of you! I can’t take it! I love my Valey soooooo much! Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaa!”

“This will never make any sense!” Valen shouts in disbelief, continuing to bottle up how he feels about Rosa. “I would rather find more ghosts in my house than trying to figure out why I suck so badly at understanding the opposite gender!”

“Ooooooh, you still haven’t realized the harder you make it for me, the more fun I’ll have in catching you!” Rosa playfully responds while putting her right hand over her mouth, pretending to be surprised. “Keeeeep playing hardball, and I’ll keep relentlessly pursing you, my Valeeey sweetieeeee!”

Valen takes a deep breath and regains his composure. “In any case, why not come inside and chill with your boy?” Valen invites as he proceeds to walk up the wooden steps leading up to the front door. The steps make a slight creaking noise as Valen walks, but it remains sturdy enough to use. “We still have more catching up to do.”

“Of courseeeee, you silly boy!” Rosa giggles. "I’m definitely going to say yes to that!”

“I could really get used to having her around again,” Valen murmurs to himself, faintly smiling as he re-enters his house with Rosa behind him. Valen’s Pokémon look visibly joyful that their trainer is finally starting to open up more, albeit Valen still has the motivation of a Slowpoke and a Slaking combined when it comes to socializing and expressing himself, despite his unusual behavior.

“Oh, my other Pokémon also need to say hi to you!” Rosa exclaims. “I’m sureeeee my Hydreigon and so adorable together!” Rosa happily states as as she clasps her hands next to the left side of her head. Salamence’s face begins to burn up, as the other five Pokémon fixate their gazes at him in a teasing manner. Typhlosion lets out a roar to tell Salamence that he’s cute, causing him to cry out in embarrassment while she triumphantly grins.

“Rosa, out of every Pokémon to call adorable, I don’t think Salamence and Hydreigon are among the top choices-" Valen cuts himself off, sporting a mischievous grin for a few seconds. "Wait wait wait wait wait, since when did you have a Hydreigon?” Valen asks, stopping in the middle of his open door, turning back to look at Rosa. “You didn’t tell me that over the phone. That’s a big deal."

“I was inspired to train a Dragon-type of my own after seeing how awesome you looked with your Salamence, plus you’re wearing that cool shirt!” Rosa explains while pointing at the Salamence eyes on Valen’s shirt. “Also, I wanted a Dragon-type because I missed you so much, and I wanted to have some way to remember the time we spent together!” Rosa says as she pretends to look like she’s about to cry, clasping her hands in front of her pouting mouth. 

“Seriously?” Valen questions with bewilderment, bending over forward with his arms dangling out in front of him. “One of the reasons that you wanted a Hydreigon, a notoriously difficult Pokémon to control, is because you missed me?”

“H-Hey, no fair! You were supposed to act really sweet towards me and give me a big huuuug!” Rosa shouts as her face reddens, both embarrassed and annoyed that her own antic had no effect on Valen. “Fineeeeeee, that second one isn’t true, but I really did miss you!”

“Well, the feeling is mutual,” Valen replies with genuine happiness as he stands straight up again, despite not visibly showing that he’s happy. “Besides, the fact that you have a Hydreigon makes you even more badass.” Salamence and Typhlosion concur, both letting out a slight roar in approval.

“Awwww, thank you!” Rosa gushes. _"Tee-hee, he doesn't even remember my Hydreigon. He's soooo silly!"_

“Hey, where are Melanie and Arthur?” Valen asks, sporting a faint smirk.

“Oh, you’re just now asking that?!” Melanie retorts with her hands on her hips, having just arrived along with Arthur. “You don’t even tell us where you’re going, and only now you’re asking that?!”

“Hey, you’re the one who forgot we have yet to break our battle tie, which I find more important than nonsense like telling people where I’m going or where I’m at,” Valen retorts as he glances at Melanie. At this point, Rosa’s jubilant smile turns into pouting.

“Actually, I remember that very well!” Melanie blurts out, gritting her teeth as her eyes bulge, and forming fists with her hands due to her annoyance. “You’re the one who’s been too lazy to finally see who can break the tie!”

“Who cares, let’s battle.” Upon hearing Valen say these words, Salamence and Typhlosion let out louder roars, signaling that they want to battle. However, much to their disappointment, Gardevoir's the one who approaches her trainer first. Gardevoir still has her arms folded, and has a smug look on her face, but is also slightly annoyed that her trainer has to put up with this drama.

“H-hold it right there!” Rosa cries out as she folds her arms. “As Battle Queen Rosa, I demand to know more about this battle tie!”

“We already told you this information a long while ago,” Melanie retorts.

”Rosa will squish you if Valey doesn’t win!” Rosa wails. “Rosa will squish everybody for Valey!”

“That doesn’t even make any sense.” Melanie rolls her eyes

“This is exactly why I walked away from the plaza in the first place. At least, that’s my cover story,” Valen says as he yawns over the drama unfolding in front of him. By now, Gardevoir's very visibly annoyed and enraged by the situation that her trainer is in. Her face is red with anger, and she has to be held back by Valen’s four flabbergasted Pokémon before she loses it. Four instead of five because Gengar's too busy laughing at the situation to help out.

 _“Seriously, what the bloody hell did I get myself roped into?”_ Arthur thinks to himself again. _“Did I get sucked into some weird romance comedy written my playwright uncle, William? Do I have to be Romeo again?"_

“Furthermore, it seems that we have a bit of a dispute going on here,” Valen continues monologuing to himself, taking note of the ongoing argument between Melanie and Rosa. “Wonderful, this is absolutely wonderful and exactly what I wanted,” Valen sarcastically mutters to himself.

“Mate, do you have anything to comment about this situation?” Arthur asks, snapping Valen back into focus.

“I still have no idea what’s going on with Rosa, but whatever, I’ll get used to it,” Valen tells Arthur as he shrugs his shoulders, actually managing to maintain his composure this time.

“W-What?!” Melanie reacts, shocked that Valen didn’t even bat an eye when Rosa said it this time. However, she quickly regains her composure. “Hey, what’s going on with you? You didn’t even flip out this time.”

"She has a fair point," Arthur chimes in. "With all due respect, you do not seem like-"

“If you’re having Rosa problems, then you don't know fun," Valen interrupts Arthur, causing Rosa to giggle. “I got ninety nine problems and this ain’t one.” Valen finally walks into his house and he seems to fully close his house’s black door, which has got an oval shaped window on top. Everybody, including all of Valen’s Pokémon minus a laughing Gengar, stare at Valen’s front door with perplexed and puzzled expressions.

“Uh, d-did V-Valen just walk out on all of us?” Rosa questions. “Even his own Pokémon?”

“Yep, that’s Valen for you, minus the Pokémon part.” Melanie sighs.

“So, now what’re we gonna do?” Rosa asks, looking somewhat saddened.

“Well, it’s going to be hard to get Valen to change his mind now,” Melanie replies, realizing that she doesn’t actually know how get Valen out of the house.

“Hey, who said I changed my mind in the first place?” Valen calls out from inside his house, as he had intentionally left his door very slightly open.

Valen opens the door and walks back outside with right hand in his pocket. “Here you go,” Valen says to Rosa as he walks down the steps, revealing that’s he’s holding a rose in his left hand. “I got this yesterday just in case you did show up anytime soon. “Valen places the rose in Rosa’s right hand, causing Rosa to blush immensely as she holds onto it. “You’ve gone quiet, just like I thought you would,” Valen remarks with a mischievous smirk, walking past Rosa while glancing at her.

Rosa closes her eyes and holds the rose on her heart. _“It wasn’t the rose itself, but it was how sweet you were towards me that day,"_ Rosa happily thinks to herself, sporting an affectionate smile. _"I see little difference in you, no matter now much you have changed. I still love you, Valen._

“So, what’s the story behind the rose?” Melanie asks, folding her arms a she fixates a curious gaze upon Valen.

“When I first met Rosa, I kept my name a secret and I handed her a rose because I thought it made me look badass,” Valen admits as he places his left hand in his pocket.

“I guess that does suit your old personality more, but that’s a twist," Melanie replies.

“In my defense, I was twenty and had been binge watching spy and action movies with my Pokémon," Valen says. "In the movie that I had just watched, the main character did something similar."

 _“Tee-hee, that’s a good cover story!”_ Rosa happily thinks to herself. _"We both know what really happened, my sweetie! Yoooou gave me the rose because you thought I was super cuteeeee!"_

“Also, I may or may not have remembered the exact words I said to Rosa before my deployment, and to be honest, it’s nice to have her around. Rosa could make even the most dull business meeting enjoyable.” Rosa perks up at this with sparkles in her eyes. “Also, while I dislike relationships-“ Valen’s mouth curves into a mischievous smirk. "I never actually said no to Rosa, now did I? Hmmmm, I wonder why that is....it's such a big mystery.”

“He is indeed correct, as I don’t recall any objection of that nature,” Arthur states.

“Say WHAAAAAAAT?!” Melanie blurts out, her eyes widening as she tugs at her open jean jacket. "D-Did you actually just imply what I think you just implied?!"

“D-Did I just win the ultimate battle?!” Rosa exclaims as she blushes again, even though she was just happy and remains happy.

“I got em both at once, so that should take care of the soap opera,” Valen thinks triumphantly to himself, smirking with his eyes closed. “I’d show you where the arena is, but I had already invited Rosa inside.”

“Battle first, date second!” Rosa interrupts Valen. “Unless we can combine them and be a tag team!”

“Date?” Valen questions, but doesn’t really care after the initial shock. “Eh, call it what you what, but I do like the tag match idea.”

“These two are a literal case of opposites attract,” Melanie comments with an amused smile, actually managing to not lose her composure this time. “It looks like that hanging out with Valen just got a lot more interesting.”

“I concur with your observation,” Arthur says, still mystified by this entire situation. “Eventually, we must see if Valen is accurate about her strength. However, you don’t think-“

”Nope,” Melanie cuts Arthur off. “Old Valen for sure, but not this doofus. "Old Valen was more open, though.”

“Rosa Rescue Rangers, assemble! Hmmmm, or maybe it should be the R-Team or the Rosa League. What about Rosa Titans? Rosa’s Imperial Empire? Hmmmmm, what else, what else...Rosa Squad?" Rosa playfully ponders with her thumb and index finger on her chin.

“Yep, she was definitely the right person to call,” Valen murmurs to himself with a faint smile, glancing back at a cheerful Rosa, an annoyed Melanie, and an amused Arthur. “How about the Rosa Force?”

“Oooh, that sounds good!” Rosa giggles, giving Valen a beaming smile.

“Valen, don’t encourage it!” Melanie barks, her eyes bulging out.

“I just did," Valen sneers, sporting a cocky smirk.

“So far, this lovely day has been both amusing and perplexing,” Arthur murmurs to himself, smiling with his eyes closed.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think of Rosa and Valen's relationship so far? Thoughts on the chapter overall?
> 
> Y/N: Were you surprised to see Valen lose it like this?
> 
> Revisions made to this chapter include cuts, an extended scene, extended dialogue, dialogue/text alterations, and added details.


	9. Valen’s Achilles Heel

The battle arena near Valen’s house is empty beyond the four of them, and they stand in the middle of the arena. This one is very basic, as it’s basically a medium sized park designed for trainers to battle, but it gets the job done. The air around here is pleasantly clean, and the lush, green grass looks well kept, despite clear signs of wear and tear from countless battles. Numerous wooden benches are placed on all four sides for spectators. Rosa takes a whiff of the air, delighted at the pleasant aroma around her.

“Alright, so Arthur and I will-” Valen begins to speak, but Rosa places her left hand over his mouth. Valen blinks in confusion, while Melanie and Arthur look on in bewilderment.

“No, bad Valey! Don't ignore Rosa!” Rosa chastises, taking her left hand off of Valen’s mouth. “Rosa wants to battle alongside Valey! Pretty pleaseeeeeee, Valey?!” Rosa gives Valen a heart melting grin, her eyes glistening as she clasps her hands next to her left cheek. “We haven’t battled as a team in a long timeeeee!”

 _“That face! Oh no, it’s that face! I can’t handle that face!”_ Valen closes his eyes and turns his head away to hide the fact he’s slightly blushing. _“Why does she have to be so adorable?! It’s impossible to say no to someone like her! How am I supposed to resist such cuteness?!”_

“Mate, let her battle alongside you,” Arthur tells Valen, trying not to laugh at how Rosa is behaving towards him. “I’d like a rematch with you, and I sense that you may not have the heart to say no to her either.”

Valen pretends that he didn't hear Arthur's second statement and glances leftwards towards Melanie. “What’s your take?” Valen asks Melanie, intentionally avoiding saying yes immediately because Dialga forbid if word gets out that Valen Barsotti finds a girl cute.

“I’m fine with it, big guy,” Melanie replies with a wide smile.

“Well, alright,” Valen responds, glancing leftwards towards Rosa. “You can team up with me.”

“Roar, Rosa wins! Rosa wins! Rosa wins! Rosa wins!" Rosa jumps up and down, sporting a elated grin. Valen and Rosa walk to the left end of the arena, while Melanie and Arthur walk to the right end of the arena.

"I guess he's a softie for her within his heart," Melanie murmurs to herself as she walks, looking back in amusement as Rosa cheers and Valen pretends to have zero care what's going on around him.

 _"I'd hate to see her happiness get wiped away by anything,"_ Valen thinks to himself with a faint, affectionate smile. 

All four of them turn to face each other, and Valen explains how this will go down. “Alright, this should be very obvious already, but the first team to get two wins will be the winner of the tag battle," Valen states as all four them take out a Poké Ball.

"Let's do this," Melanie confidently states. “It’s about time we battled again, Valen.”

"This is gonna be sooo much fun!" Rosa happily exclaims. "Valen knows that battling is the most fun thing ever!"

"She's a lively one, but let's see how strong she really is," Arthur murmurs to himself with a friendly smile.

“Gardevoir, you’re up." Valen calls out his Psychic/Fairy type.

“I shall use my Corviknight." Arthur calls out his Flying/Steel type Pokémon. 

“I’ll use my Volcarona!” Rosa calls out her Bug/Fire type Pokémon.

“I’m going with Swampert.” Melanie calls out her Water/Ground type.

Swampert and Gardevoir greet each other with pleasant cries, as the two of them have known each other since they were a Mudkip and a Ralts, meaning they’ve known each other since both of their respective trainers became trainers in the first place: Ralts was the first Pokémon Valen ever caught in the wild, and Mudkip was Melanie’s starter. However, Gardevoir quickly reverts to her usual personality, folded her arms and expressing enormous pride in herself. She's an unusual Gardevoir, as she radiates a rather evil aura around her, like she’s a loony witch about to cast some sinister, dark magic on one of the people or Pokémon present.

Meanwhile, a perplexed Arthur keenly studies the level of smugness and confidence emitting from the creepily cackling Gardevoir, whose mouth has curved into a wide, maniacal grin as she keeps her eyes closed and her arms folded. Even his Corviknight is taken aback by how cocky and slightly sinister this elegant, alluring Pokémon is, as the large avian’s mouth is partially gaping open. “Hm, Valen’s Gardevoir seems a lot more boastful than any other Gardevoir I have encountered, and she also feels slightly wicked,” Arthur murmurs to himself with his right thumb and index finger on his chin, and he’s not wrong. From Gardevoir's point of view, she’s clearly the best choice for her trainer to use. However, Gardevoir goes from looking borderline evil to looking back at her trainer with a genuinely affectionate smile, then returning to being her cocky self.

However, everyone’s attention is quickly drawn to the fact that Rosa’s Volcarona is crying out in embarrassment, with happiness mixed in there, as the sun-like Pokémon’s trainer treats him like a Growlithe puppy, even giving him a belly rub. “Hiiiii, my big strong boy! Please win this for mommy and her sweetie, kaaaay?” Everybody except Valen and his Gardevoir stares and blinks at this scene in bewilderment. Gardevoir snickers because two of her own teammates have the exact same reason when Rosa treats them this way. Gardevoir herself has got a different way of handling anyone who tries to pet her that isn’t Valen. Swampert and Corviknight become extremely nervous, sweating profusely with their mouths gaping open as they back up a few feet. After all, what if one day, Rosa treats them like this?

“This always cracks me up.” Valen secretly tears up with laughter. “She does this at random.”

“Kaaaaay, battle time! Rosa Force, gooooooo!” Rosa radiates a massive amount of enthusiasm as Volcarona secretly lets out a cry of relief as Gardevoir still snickers, while Swampert and Corviknight regain their composure, but they glance at each other nervously, hoping Rosa doesn't come after them.

Instead of getting angry, Melanie chuckles to herself, murmuring, "I’m actually not bothered by her name choices anymore, because it’s kinda adorable.”

“This lass really perplexes me,” Arthur mutters to himself, smirking as his Corviknight flaps his wings and takes flight.

“Ready, my Valey sweetie?” Rosa asks as she glances leftwards to Valen with a confident smile.

Valen glances rightwards towards Rosa, giving her a thumbs up and an approving smile. “Way ahead of ya.” 

“Good, cuz I don't wanna wait another minute!” Rosa cheerfully blurts out. "Volcarona, use Flamethrower!” Red-orange flames envelop all of Volcarona's red wings, and all of the flames converge onto the middle of Volcarona's body combining into a powerful stream of fire, Volcarona launches the stream of fire at Corviknight, but Melanie is ready to counter.

“Oh no you don't! Swampert, counter with Mud Shot!” Melanie counters with a confident grin. Corviknight backs up while still in the air as his quadrupedal ally counters the Flamethrower by launching a large ball of mud from its mouth. Both attacks collide and cause a medium explosion that results in a lot of smoke.

"Much appreciated," Arthur tells Melanie with a grin as the smoke slowly clears.

"No problem but don't let your guard down against Rosa," Melanie sternly warns as more of the smoke clears. "If Valen says she's strong, then she's definitely strong. Valen can be a dunce, but he's not stupid when it comes to battling."

"Will do,” Arthur replies.

Melanie gives Arthur an approving smile before turning her attention to Swampert. By now, the smoke has completely cleared out. "Alright, now use Liquidation!" Melanie commands. Swampert becomes enveloped by a oval shaped orb of water, and Swampert lets out a menacing cry as he charges at Volcarona. However, Valen isn't having it.

“Intercept," Valen commands, faintly grinning as he places his hands in the pockets of his black pants, much to Rosa and Arthur's shock, while Melanie folds her arms and smirks with amusement.

"Huh?!" Rosa exclaims as Gardevoir steps in front of Volcarona, taking Swampert's Liquidation attack head on. Gardevoir reels from the attack, but she's still in this fight. Gardevoir grins at Swampert out of both cockiness and respect, as Swampert grins back out of respect. Volcarona lets out a gentle cry to thank Gardevoir. Now radiating a much kinder vibe to her, Gardevoir gives off a pleasant gaze, returning an angelic cry in response to say that Volcarona’s welcome. Both Valen and Rosa give each other a fist bump.

"Intercept without a counterattack, eh?" Arthur observes, his shock having diminished. “Use Steel Wing against Gardevoir."

"Volcarona, your turn to help Gardevoir!" Rosa tells her Pokémon as Gardevoir regains her footing. "Flare Blitz!" A red-orange fireball begins to form and surround Volcarona. As Corviknight is swooping in to strike Gardevoir, Volcarona launches himself like a meteorite, striking Corviknight head before Steel Wing can hit Gardevoir. Afterwards, red-orange flames surround and deal recoil damage to Volcarona. Rosa gives Valen a wink, while Valen simply closes his eyes and smiles as he places his right hand back into the right pocket of his black pants. Gardevoir says thanks this time, but emulates her trainer by closing her eyes and smiling, while Volcarona lets out a cry to say that Gardevoir’s welcome.

"Use Magical Leaf against Poseidon,” Valen commands. Using her psychic powers, Gardevoir materializes a barrage of green, crescent shaped leaves and sends them hurling towards Swampert, who's unable to get out of the way in time.

Melanie looks a little concerned as the barrage of leaves sends Poseidon reeling from the quadruple super-effective attack, but concerns turns into an approving smile directed at Swampert, Gardevoir , and Valen. Swampert struggles to pull himself together, but is still raring to go. _"Yep, he's definitely as strong as I remember, but the doofus won't even tell the truth about his successes."_ Melanie is the only person present who knows about Valen's glory days as a trainer, at least for the time being. _“The Black Reaper is still nobody to scoff at.”_ As for Corviknight, Arthur looks concerned, as his part Steel-type just took an extremely powerful Fire-type move head on. However, Arthur smiles in relief when Corviknight gets back up on his feet, letting out a loud cry as he flaps his wings and takes flight once again. Corviknight and Swampert exchange glances before glancing in front of them again, both smiling as they're enjoying battling against such strong opponents.

“I’m having sooo much fun!” Rosa cheerfully proclaims as she jumps up in the air. “Use Giga Drain against Swampert!”

Volcarona body begins to emit a red aura, red streams of energy extend from each of Volcarona’s wings and it latches into Swampert. Swampert closes his eyes and lets out an unpleasant grunt as Volcarona sucks away Swampert's health to replenish his own. Eventually, the red aura and red streams evaporate. Swampert falls to the ground, but he’s not out yet.

“Come on, Swampert!” Melanie shouts words of encouragement as her Swampert struggles to get back up on his feet.

“Iron Head against Gardevoir,” Arthur commands. Corviknight’s entire head glows metal gray and it charges downwards at Gardevoir from up in the air. However, much to Arthur’s surprise and Rosa’s confusion, Valen doesn’t issue any commands, and Gardevoir stands there with her arms folded, staring at the incoming Corviknight with a cocky smile, even briefly snickering to herself like she’s mocking the avian. “What’s this?!”

“Uh, V-Valen?! W-Wake up, incoming super-effective attack! Valen, wake up sleepyhead! H-Hey, w-watch out! Oh nooooooo!” Rosa frantically points to Corviknight, jumping up and down as Valen still doesn’t give any commands. Melanie doesn’t say anything, keeping her arms folded as she closes her eyes and chuckles to herself, while Swampert pulls himself back together.

At the last second, Valen’s stern expression turns into a confident smirk, as he was waiting for this moment to launch a counterattack. “Evade, then use Thunderbolt.” Right when Corviknight is about to strike, Gardevoir jumps to the right of Corviknight to get out of the way, her gaze oozing self-pride. A stunned Corviknight has his mouth gaping open, while Gardevoir glances over at him with an ear-to-ear, smug grin, snickering as she keeps her arms folded. Then, Gardevoir launches a powerful bolt of electricity, who is unable to evade or counter in time, and takes a direct zap to his face, with the attack quickly enveloping his entire body. “He timed it until the last second?!” Arthur’s eyes widen and shake in shock as Gardevoir lets out a cocky laugh.

Rosa stares in disbelief with her mouth gaping open, but her mouth quickly curves into a wide smile. “My Valey’s soooo coool!” Rosa gushes as she jumps up and down, forming fists with both of her hands as she bends her elbows and raises her fists out in front of her. “Go! Go! Go! Go! Go Valeeeeey! Yaaaaay, go Valeeeey!”

“I love seeing the look on people’s faces when he pulls a stunt like this,” Melanie admits, smirking with her eyes closed. “Swampert, use Stone Edge against Volcarona.” A white circle of energy made up of gray stones begins to form and surround Swampert's body. Swampert lets out a loud, menacing cry and it fires a barrage of gray stones at Volcarona.

“Gardevoir, counter Stone Edge with Psychic.” Gardevoir lets out a confident laugh that’s borderline maniacal, grinning menacingly as her eyes glows light blue. Then, Gardevoir fires an enormous wave of light blue energy at Swampert, which causes shockwaves in the ground and causes a gust of wind, causing everybody’s clothes and hair to ripple as a result. Both Rosa and Arthur watch in stunned silence at how powerful this attack is, and even Melanie is a surprised by it. The light blue wave of energy disintegrates the stones and does a lot of damage to Poseidon. However, not only is Swampert hit, but Gardevoir's attack even dealt a tiny amount of additional damage to Corviknight as well, which surprises Arthur.

Since the skies are cloudless, Rosa decides it’s time that Volcarona used its other Grass type move. “Solar Beam!” Volcarona uses his wings to absorb sunlight, and his wings glow translucent red. The light converges into a beam the size of Volcarona's entire body, and the massive beam strikes a still reeling Swampert head on, enveloping the Water/Ground-type and most of the battlefield with its intense light.

“Giga Drain and Solarbeam, huh? This battle was worth it,” Melanie happily murmurs to herself. Swampert's almost on the verge of defeat after taking two powerful attacks in a row, with one being a quadruple effective attack.

“Steel Wing!" Both of Corviknight's wings glow metal-gray and he charges at Gardevoir at a much closer distance to avoid being caught off guard, and so Swampert can avoid taking another Psychic or Magical Leaf.

"Magical Leaf." Gardevoir taunts Corviknight's inability to reach her time with a snicker, as she's able to fire off another barrage of crescent shaped leaves just as Corviknight strikes her with his Steel Wing, which almost sends her falling down, but is able to remain standing. Meanwhile, as a result of still reeling from Solarbeam and taking a second Magical Leaf, Swampert falls to the ground defeated. Nevertheless, Melanie's proud of his efforts in the battle.

“Aw, I guess you got me there.” Melanie admits with a placid smile as recalls Swampert back into his Poké Ball. "You tried your best, Swampert."

“Eh, that was more of my girl’s doing than me.” Valen glances at Rosa with an approving smile.

“Yay, my Valey sweetie called me his girl!” Rosa blushes with her eyes closed, clasping her hands next to her left cheek.

“Something’s different about him, and I like it,” Melanie delightfully murmurs to herself, giving Valen an approving, warm smile as she goes to sit on the bench behind Arthur.

“Iron Head!” Once again, Corviknight’s entire head glows metal gray and it charges downwards at Gardevoir from up in the air. Once again, Corviknight is striking from a closer distance, not leaving any time for Valen and Gardevoir to pull the same stunt again. Corviknight lands are direct and Gardevoir almost falls, but manages to stay standing, albeit reeling from the damage.

“Brave Bird!” Corviknight flies up even higher, before immediately charging downwards at Volcarona at a high rate of speed, bursting into flames like he's a rocket burning up in reentry. Gardevoir's still reeling from Iron Head so she’s unable able to prevent Volcarona from getting hit. Volcarona is sent flying backwards a massive amount of feet, eventually crashing into the ground. Corviknight closes his right eye in pain, having taken recoil damage.

"Come on, Volcarona!" Rosa looks on nervously as Volcarona struggles to get up, eventually smiling in relief after he does manage to get back up.

"Iron Head again!” Arthur commands. Corviknight bears off the recoil damage and flies back upward. Once again, his head glows metal gray and it charges downwards. Gardevoir's unable to evade this one either, and Volcarona still reeling from Brave Bird, so he's unable to block it. Gardevoir takes another direct hit, and is now barely standing. Valen realizes this as he looks at Gardevoir , then glances over to Volcarona, deciding to help out Rosa and Volcarona instead of attacking.

“Gardevoir, you fought well,” Valen compliments his Pokémon with an approving, affectionate smile. “Try using Heal Pulse on Volcarona if you can. Either way, I’m proud of you.” As Gardevoir smiles at Corviknight out of newfound respect and vice versa, she fires off multiple pink waves of energy to heal the damage Volcarona has taken so far. Immediately afterwards, Gardevoir falls to the ground in defeat, but is smiling as she’s still satisfied by her performance, and is even more satisfied that Valen complimented her on a job well done. Even for this cockier than usual Gardevoir, approval from her trainer is enough to please her, regardless if she wins or loses.

“Thanks, Valen and Gardevoir!” Volcarona joins his trainer by letting out a gentle cry to thank Valen and Gardevoir for using Heal Pulse on him

“It’s up to you now, Rosa.” Valen recalls his Gardevoir, giving Rosa an approving smile and a thumbs up.

Rosa tilts her head back, closing her eyes as she folds her arms. “Relax, Battle Queen Rosa's got this! I'm your partner, so obviously we're going to win this!” Rosa proudly declares with a confident smile. _“That’s right, I’m the queen! Accept reality, Hilda, cuz I’m stronger than you!”_

“Arthur, you got me this time, but my girl’s gonna mop the floor with you.” Valen goes to join Melanie on the bench.

“Your girl?” Melanie questions with a teasing smile as Valen sits down next to her.

“Hey, it’s worth considering, isn’t it?” Valen faintly smirks, folding his arms as he closes his eyes.

“Huh, you sure you aren’t changing?” Melanie asks, playfully flicking Valen on the top of his head.

“Nah, the bar's still at five percent.” Valen smirks upon hearing Melanie chuckle. "Downloading stalled for some reason."

“Flamethrower!" Red-orange flames envelop all of Volcarona's red wings, and flames converge onto the middle of Volcarona's body, combining into a powerful stream of fire, Volcarona launches the stream of fire, striking Corviknight on the bottom of his head. This time, Corviknight ends up glowing bright red, indicating it's been burned.

"This lass really doesn't mess around in a battle!" Arthur's eyes widen, but his shock quickly turns into enjoyment. "Well, it wouldn't be any fun if this was too easy, would it now? Use Aerial Ace." Corviknight flies upwards, then charges back down as his body is surrounded by white aura of energy. Within milliseconds, Corviknight crashes into Volcarona, sending it reeling. However, Volcarona is still very much in this fight. 

“Brave Bird!” Corviknight flies backs upwards, then charges downwards at Volcarona, bursting into flames like last time.

“Counter with Flare Blitz!” Once more, a red-orange fireball begins to form and surround Volcarona, and he charges towards Volcarona, The collision between the two powerful attacks causes a massive explosion, with smoking making it even harder to see, causing all four of them, plus the two Pokémon to close their eyes.

"I warned you, didn't I?" Valen grins with pride as the smoke begins to clear.

"I believed you, but it seems Arthur’s learned it the hard way," Melanie replies as more of the smoke clears.

Once all of the smoke have cleared, both Pokémon struggle to stay in the air, but Corviknight has taken more of the brunt of the collision, plus his burn caused by Flamethrower is still dealing additional damage.

“Tee-hee, I got this one in the bag!” Rosa proudly proclaims. "Use Flamethrower one more time!” Volcarona is able to pull himself together before Corviknight can, and for a third time, red-orange flames envelop all of Volcarona's red wings, and flames converge onto the middle of Volcarona's body, combining into a powerful stream of fire, Volcarona launches the stream of fire, striking Corviknight and sending him falling to the ground, having been defeated. Arthur recalls his Corviknight in silence, but quickly loses it afterwards.

“This is rubbish!” Arthur grabs his ashy, blond hair in disbelief. “Preposterous, absolutely preposterous, absolutely bloody preposterous! I won the battle against Valen's Gardevoir, but then I lost the tag match?!”

“Yay, yay, yay, yay!” Rosa cheers loudly, jumping up and down before she runs towards Valen. “Go, go, go Rosa! It's Rosa’s birthday! We’ll party like it’s Rosa’s birthday, even though it's not actually Rosa's birthday!”

As Rosa and Valene exchange another fist bump, Melanie chuckles at Arthur's demeanor, then turns her attention to Valen with a teasing smile. “You know, for someone so bothered by everything related to people, Rosa seems like she’s the biggest exception,” Melanie observes. “You haven’t directed much apathy or aloof behavior her way. Come on, big guy, tell me the truth."

“I might have a soft spot for Rosa, and that’s a very big might, so don’t get any wrong ideas.” Valen closes his eyes and folds his arms, attempting to keep it together as he starts to get flustered.

“Valey still thinks I’m cuteeeee!” Rosa proclaims, jumping up in the air with excitement. 

Upon hearing this, Valen’s face becomes visibly red for a very brief moment. “Hmph, I have no idea what you’re talking about. I don't even know what the word cute means.”

“Did he....did the bloke just blush for few seconds?” Arthur murmurs to Melanie, staring and blinking in surprise.

“Yeah, and I don't know what's happening to Valen,” Melanie murmurs back. “It’s like he’s two different people in one body ever since Rosa showed up.”

“I believe that the proper course of action is giving the bloke some space with his lass.”

“I agree, but please use words that are more common around these parts.”

“Request denied,” Arthur retorts with a smirk as Melanie and him turn around and start to leave the battle arena.

“Where are you two going?” Valen asks, having noticed that the duo has started to walk off.

“We think you two charming lovebirds need some quality time together,” Arthur jokes with an approving smile as he walks away. “Make your move already, mate. If you did it once, you can do it again.” 

“I’ll see you around. Don’t screw this up, because I totally ship it,” Melanie gives Valen a playful smile and a wink as she walks away. “I'll even help you pick out a ring.” 

Valen really wants to say something, but he doesn't out of fear that the true story will come out, and also because he doesn’t want the secret of gentleman Valen to come out as well. With Melanie and Arthur now out of sight, Rosa turns to look at Valen, who keeps his eyes closed. Then, Valen reopens his eyes in surprise as Rosa places her arms around his neck, kissing him on the lips. “I’m sorry for not being there for you, Valen. Melanie told me about what happened to you, and it hurt me a lot, my sweetie. It hurt me to the point of tears. It broke my heart to know that you’ve been suffering so much. If you won’t be happier for yourself, at least try to be happier for me, kay?” Rosa requests with an affectionate smile. 

Valen stares into the distance and blinks in surprise, feeling a surge of calmness and warmth flowing through him. Valen makes no attempt to hide his genuine smile, placing his right hand on Rosa’s back and his left hand on the back of her head to embrace her. “Heh, you’re worried about me?”

"Tough guys like you also need to feel loved, so shut up and let me show you some affection, kay?” Rosa kisses Valen on his right cheek. “You’re long overdue for your required doses of Rosa’s love, my sweetie.”

"...Alright, thanks.” Valen lets go of Rosa and vice versa. Then, Valen places his hands in his pockets and looks up into the late afternoon sky as the sun starts to set. “A bright heart can become shrouded in darkness upon seeing the horrors of this world. However, there’s a part of me that believes that there’s a light that shines so bright that it can vanquish the darkness from one’s heart.”

“I’ll be the light that vanquishes your darkness!” Rosa cheerfully replies. “Soooooo, do you still think I’m cute, big boy?” Rosa faintly giggles, her face carrying a smile so innocent and warm that Valen feels the need to glance away, his face burning bright red.

Valen's personality does a switch, going from antisocial and aloof to social and shy. Rosa laughs upon seeing Valen being shy, as she thinks it's adorable. “Oh, uh, um, how do I put this.....w-well, I do still find you both c-c-c-cute and b-beautiful, but please keep that between us, especially the c-c-c-cute part. Heh heh heh,” Valen bashfully replies, sporting a embarrassed smile. Valen’s poking his two index fingers together in front of him, hoping he doesn’t get blindsided again. _“I’m screwed, aren’t I?”_

Yay, I knew it!” Rosa triumphantly proclaims. “However, if you still find me cute-“ Rosa cuts her off, mischievously grinning as she places her left arm around Valen’s neck, just as Valen re-opens his eyes.

“U-Uh oh,” Valen nervously remarks, his eyes widening as he face starts to redden even more. “I-I’m in big trouble now!”

“That means you still have a crush on me, right big boooy?” Rosa flirtatiously whispers into Valen’s right ear.

As a self proclaimed badass, Valen dreads anybody learning that he found and still finds Rosa to be both adorable and beautiful, especially the former, and Dialga forbid if anyone finds out about gentleman Valen. “U-Uh....oh no....I forgot about that part!” Valen’s eyes widen even more, his face becoming the reddest it’s been in a long time, and he starts to sweat profusely, even though nobody else is around, much to his relief. “U-Um....maybe? Wait, no no no no no no, I m-m-meant no! Dammit, I really did set myself up for this! Fine, I’ll admit it! Yes, I still have big crush on you! How can I not! First of all, you’re still as pretty as ever, and more importantly, your personality is so innocent that it’s adorable, and that smile! That adorable, innocent smile! It’s too much!”

“Awwww, you’re still sooooo sweet!" Rosa gushes, her eyes sparkling like a starry night sky. "I knew that my Valey sweetie would still love meeeeee!”

“Huh, it actually felt quite good to let that one out,” Valen admits.

“Let me see if I can remember some of the things that you said...you said that I acted really cute, I had the cutest smile, and you asked me if I was a a Fire-type because I was hotter than your Typhlosion’s Flamethrower! You were so sweet and dashing, plus you were super cool! That’s why you’re my prince, Valey sweetie! Oh, another thing that you said was that I was perfect combination of pretty and cute!”

“What can I say?” Valen smugly replies with a wide grin as he folds his arms. “I was a smooth talking badass who approached you on top of a Salamence, and damn did I looked like a boss in that suit or what? The only time I’ll dress up is when I can be a badass while doing so. That’s why my favorite movies that I was a part at PokéStar Studios was Dracofinger and Gengars are Forever.”

“Heeeeey, don’t forget about Serperior Woman! Rosa was soooo cooool! Pow! Wham! Bam! Rosa’s the best superheroine ever!"

“I won’t argue with that.” Valen faintly smiles. 

“Ooooh, look at this hunky hottieeeee!" Rosa flirtatiously winks Valen as she grabs his right arm with her right hand. “You think you can lift me up, big boooy?! These must be muscles from military training! C'mon, big boooy, lift me up!”

Valen’s smug attitude reverts back to being abnormally shy and flustered. “Hmph, of course I can lift you up!” Valen attempts to be smug in between his shyness and his giant crush on Rosa being fully out in the open. “I’m a badass!”

“Noooo, you’re a cool cutie, and Rosa will prove it again! Rosa is going to use her Sweet Kiss attack!”

Valen clenches his teeth in annoyance. He’ll accept be called a badass, cool, sweet, or literally any other word than adorable, cute, cutie, and so on. He glances rightwards towards Rosa, but Rosa kisses Valen on the lips before he can say anything, causing him to blush again.

Rosa gives Valen a playful, coy smile, saying, “Tee-hee, you’re so awesome and cool, yet your biggest weakness is sweet adorable Rosa!”

Valen takes a deep breath before responding, slightly blushing but also affectionately smiling. “You’re a real pain in my ass, but you’re an adorable pain in my ass, which is fine with me." Rosa smiles becomes even wider upon hearing Valen utter these words.

“Heeeey, can Rosa pet the kitty?” Rosa playfully asks Valen. Immediately after Rosa asks this question, Valen’s Luxray lets himself out of his Poké Ball in a panic. The flustered feline comes out of the Poké Ball running as fast as he can, letting out a loud, panicked cry. “Okay, tag it is, you adorable little kitty!” Rosa chases the flustered and panicked Luxray out of the arena and onto the cobblestone sidewalk. Luxray cries out again as he sweats nervously, his face reddening in embarrassment. Valen secretly cries with laughter over this situation.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd like to hear your thoughts about the characterization of Valen's Gardevoir. Did you enjoy the first double battle/tag battle of the fic? How about the alone time between Valen and Rosa?
> 
> You'll see more of how Valen managed to win Rosa's heart soon enough.
> 
> Revisions include cuts, dialogue/text alterations, and extended dialogue.


	10. Friends of Rosa

It’s late morning as Rosa strolls through a more modern neighborhood within Angel City. Dimitri’s come through, as he’s been able to acquire a small house for Rosa to live in while she’s in Calvana. This neighborhood is much more recent than the neighborhood than Valen lives in, as evident by the more modern style of houses. The houses are fairly normal looking for suburban style homes, with Rosa’s new residence being a one story, with its roof finished in a darker shade of brown that contrasts the cream colored exterior and interior walls.

Rosa’s being her usual jubliant self as she walks on the concrete pathway to the house’s front door, which is a brown, wooden door with two square windows on the upper part of it. “I can’t wait until I tell Valen and his friends that I have decided to live abroad!” Rosa cheerfully tells herself as she enters her new house. “All my boxes arrived yesterday from Unova thanks to Skyla! Tee-hee, I secretly called her before leaving Liniya Corporation! I didn’t tell her anything about Valey, cuz he’s mineeee!”

After entering her new house, Rosa surveys the living room and the kitchen area. The former already has a medium sized, leather sofa, and the latter already has a refrigerator placed on its white, tiled floor, among other common pieces of furniture and appliances that are also already present. Rosa walks towards her bedroom, which already has the door open, and she glances at the furniture that’s already present. Rosa takes a delighted glance the new furniture such as her medium sized bed. Other furniture include several things made out of light brown wood, such as her dresser with six doors, her desk, and her three shelf bookcase. There is also a new television still in its box, but Rosa wonders where she’ll put it once she takes out of the box.

Rosa's jolliness turns into panic as she looks around the room. “Oh noooooooooo, I was having soooooo much fun that I totally forgot to unpack a single box!” Rosa mouth gapes open halfway, eyeing all of the unopened, brown packages scattered around her bedroom. “How did I forget to unpack yesterday evening and in the early morning?!” However, Rosa takes a deep breath, becoming her joyful self again. “It’s time for Rosa’s Extreme Energy Power-Up Attack!” Rosa forms fists with both of her hands. “Pokémon, Pokémon, Pokémon, let’s do this!"

Rosa starts off by opening boxes that have basic necessities, humming and singing to herself while doing so. “I wanna beee the very beeeest, like no one ever waaaaas! Ever was, ever was!” Rosa unpacks a box filled with clothing and other necessity items. “To catch them is my real test, to train them in my causeeeeeee!” Rosa sorts out all the items and temporarily places them on her medium sized bed, and then goes to unpack other boxes that contains belongings such as magazines, photos, gym badges, and trophies “My whole life has led to this, time to test my skills!” Rosa continues singing as she places various photographs on her bed, as well as a case holding all eight of her gym badges. “I know I just can’t miss, I’m gonna show the woooorld!” Then, Rosa unpacks a taller, longer box, which has her trophies carefully stores inside of a sturdy case. “Born to be a winneeeer, born to be a champiooooon! Born to be a winneeeer, born to be the very beeeest! Born to be a winner, that’s meeeeeeeeee!” Rosa places both of her Unova Conference trophies and both of her Pokémon World Tournament trophies onto the top shelf of her bookcase. The medium shelf has the rose that Valen gave her yesterday, and Rosa has placed the rose in a jar of water, and Rosa places the case with her gym badges left of it, and several framed photos of Valen and her right of it. “Tee-hee, I unpacked, I sorted, and I will top the music charts! I'll also make a name for myself as a trainer in this region! Quadruple winner, that’s Rooooosa!” Rosa happily proclaims, forming a peace sign with her right hand.

Then, Rosa turns her attention to the opened box that contains a giant pile of magazines., Rosa turns her attention to the opened box that contains a giant pile of magazines. Rosa’s picked up these magazines in bulk, with the top one being six years old. Then, Rosa notices that somebody very familiar to her is on the magazine’s cover, despite his hair looking much neater on it. Reading the text and seeing a trophy in his hands causes Rosa to widen her eyes in surprise. “H-Hey, V-Valen won the Calvana Conference twice! What kind of Pokémon Trainer lies about their successes?!” I’m going to call him right now and give him a stern talking to!” Rosa grabs her phone and presses down hard on the touch screen numbers, frustrated over the fact that Valen blatantly lied to her.

After a few rings, Valen picks up. “I’m binge watching action and spy movies, so I really hope this is important. You called me when this movie was getting to the really good part.”

“Hush!” Rosa forms a fist with her left hand as she holds her phone with her right hand. “Valentinian Alexander Olivier Barsotti, why'd you lie to meeeee about never winning the Calvana Conference?!” Rosa angrily barks through her phone as her eyes bulge out. “I got a bunch of magazines in bulk, and this old magazine from six years ago has you on the cover holding a trophy, and it says this was your second win! You said you weren’t good enough, soooooooooo why are you selling yourself short?! What happened to you, Valen?!”

“Oh, that,” Valen replies in a deadpan tone, as his Gengar laughs in the background over this situation. “I forgot I won, so can you stop shouting at me? You’re so mad that you used my full name.”

“Yes, it’s a big deal!” Rosa screams. “You won the Calvana Conference twice and you lied to your battle loving unofficial girlfriend about it!”

“I forgot that I won it twice,” Valen replies, still having a deadpan tone. “It’s not even that impressive now, as it was years ago.”

“I want the truth!” Rosa shouts.

“You can’t handle the truth.” Valen laughs.

“Rosa smash! Rosa smash! ROSA SMASH BAD VALEY! Roar! Grrrr! Hiss! Rosa smash! Rosa smash! ROSA SMASH PUNY BAD VALEY!”

“That’s what she said.”

“Grrrr, dirty joke by Bad Valey! Grrrrr, Rosa is more angry now! Rosa’s going to beat up Bad Valey! Grrrr! Roar! Hiss! Growl! Snarl!”

“Whoopee cushion,” Valen teases. “I still have the whoopee cushion, and I’m not afraid to use it.”

Rosa sweats nervously, replying, “Um, nice Valey sweetie! P-Please and t-thank you!”

“I’ll admit that I lied about three things,” Valen concedes. "I did win twice, and I didn’t forget.”

“Good, now say sorry....waaaaaait just a minute! Valen, what’s the third thing you lied about?”

“I lied about winning it two times.” Valen snickers. “I was pulling your leg.”

“Wait, what?!” Rosa raises her eyebrows. 

“I won it three times,” Valen admits while snickering. “The trophies are in my attic, as it’s not something I like to boast about, or worth telling people to begin with.”

“S-S-Seriously?! You’re telling me this noooow?!” Rosa nervously blurts out as her eyes widen. _“It’s not Valen’s fault, but Hilda will be sooooo mad at me if I don’t tell her that I know someone who won the Calvana Conference three times!”_

“In most cases, I don’t like to tell give details about my past, not even my successes,” Valen admits. “Nobody has recognized me, but it’s not like anyone would recognize me, as not only I avoid crowded areas ninety nine percent of the time, it’s also been five years since I’ve been seen battling in the pro circuit. I really don’t see the big deal here.”

“Well, even if you are a lying meanie face, you’re still Rosa’s lying meanie face!” Rosa exclaims with jubilation. “Alsooooo, even if you won’t give me the inevitable yes response to making us official again, Team RV will last forever, and you can’t escape it! Team VR works too! Or we should call ourselves Team Bestie!”

“Moving along, what are you up to?” Valen asks.

“Oh right, I have great news for you!” Rosa cheerfully tells Valen. “Tee-hee, I have decided to live abroad in Calvana! I’m currently unpacking as we speak!”

“YES!" Valen screams in elation, only to feel embarrassed about it seconds later. "S-Sorry, I got a little too excited there....eh heh heh.”

“I knooooow, we’re gonna have soooooo much fuuuun, just like in Unova!”

“I’m looking forward to it, but please don’t shout at me again.”

“Okay, I won’t,” Rosa responds, closing her eyes with a smug grin on her face. “I’ll just make you admit that you do have a crush on me.”

“No.”

“In front of your friends.”

“No!”

“In a crowded area.

“Definitely not!”

“Wearing a suit.”

“No no no no no no, absolutely not! Absolutely not! ABSOLUTELY NOT!” Valen goes ballistic, much to Rosa’s amusement.

“Tee-hee, I’m just kidding! I’m sorry, but you’re soooooo cuteeeee when you’re flustered, and I can’t get enough of it! Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaa!”

“Don’t call me adorable or cute!”

“Too late, Valey sweetie, cuuuz I already called you cuteeee, my little Prince Valeeey sweetie!”

“Whoopee cushion.”

“Meanie Valey, that’s cheating to win!”

* * *

It’s now early afternoon, and within a part of central Angel City that’s just north of downtown, four of Rosa’s friends, Leaf, Hilda, Calem, and Brendan stroll down a concrete sidewalk as cars, trucks, and buses pass them by on the busy roads. Street vendors announce their goods, the smells of various foods flow through the air, and a lot people walk and chatter along the sidewalk, as well as within the buildings. The four friends walk past the aged, wall-to-wall buildings, which house everything from a deli to an antique shop. Leaf attempts to watch where she’s going, but she’s also attempting to look at the buildings, having been mesmerized by the narrow, classical style buildings with pyramid shaped roofs. As she wonders what food and goods are available inside, Leaf notes that these aged buildings are dotted with dozens of windows that curve at the top or are completely rectangular, with some buildings having both styles of windows.

However, Leaf gets too distracted, as she’s now keenly studying the various colors on the exteriors of the buildings, such as maroon, hazel, azure, and dark brown. Leaf almost bumps into Hilda, barely avoiding doing so at the last second, much to her embarrassment as evident by her reddened face. However, Hilda doesn’t notice it, or anything else for that matter.

“According to this map, we’re at the intersection of Solgaleo Boulevard and Rayquaza Road.” Hilda keenly focuses on the map she’s viewing on her phone.

“Or, you could just look up at the street sign and not almost run into a traffic light pole.” Calem groans, rolling his eyes. 

“H-Huh?” Hilda looks up and is taken aback when she realizes she was mere inches away from running face first into a metal pole that holds up traffic lights and a pair of street signs. “Aieeee, t-that was a close one!” Hilda hides her face behind her hands as Brendan laughs to himself. ”Y-You saw n-nothing!” Hilda screams.

“You’re such a klutz,” Calem bemoans as he places his left palm over his face. “I should have heeded Hilbert’s warning. Serena warned me about this too, and yet I still forgot.”

“H-Hey!” Hilda’s face reddens even more in embarrassment. “C-Calem, you’re supposed to be on my side!”

“She was thinking about Pokémon battles so she wasn’t paying attention!” Leaf giggles, happy that her own blunder wasn’t noticed.

”Reminds me of when she fell into the water outside Slateport City!” Brendan laughs.

“S-Stop teaming up against me!” Hilda wails.

“Anyway, this city is huge.” Calem eyes the city’s towering skyline in the distance, slightly lifting up his cap so sunlight doesn’t directly beam into his face. “I guess they call it a megacity for a reason.”

“Yeah, this place is really impressive!” Brendan excitedly chimes in. “We owe Rosa for this! I wish May could have come along with this! My dad and mom would love it here too”

“I wanna go to Sunset Studios and try becoming a movie star!” Leaf’s eyes sparkle as she forms fists with both of her hands out of excitement. “Ooooh, I better take a selfie of myself in front of the big sign! Hee hee, that’ll become a famous picture of Leaf, the powerful trainer and the excellent actress! It’ll sell for soooo much, then I’ll buy a mansion!”

“Rosa was right, this city is soooo amazing!” Hilda cheerfully exclaims with her hands folded together above her right shoulder. Then, Hilda brings her arms and hands down to her sides and forms fists with both hands out of excitement. “However, my first priority’s Pokémon battles, and Rosa says she knows a three time Calvana Conference winner that I must battle!”

“Except Rosa refuses to tell us anything else about him, other than that he’s going to mop the floor with you,” Brendan points out as he glances rightwards towards Hilda, looking a bit puzzled as he folds his arms. “How will you actually find him?”

“I’ll find him by finding Rosa, and then I’ll prove Rosa wrong!” Hilda cheerfully proclaims, pointing to the afternoon sky with her left index finger. “Before that, we’re going to explore and battle a lot of locals!”

“Rosa told me that this guy was her prince!” Leaf’s eyes sparkle once more. “She also makes it seem like this guy is playing hard to get, but she said was both cool and sweet! I wanna meet this prince of hers! She also said that he’s so adorable when he’s flustered!”

“Why’d you get top secret information from Rosa and I didn’t?! That’s sooo not cool!” Hilda pouts. “I’m from the same region as her!”

 _“I actually know the guy Rosa told them about, but I’ll let them figure it out on their own,”_ Calem thinks to himself, sporting a faint smirk.

“Wait, it wasn’t just Rosa who helped the four of us to come here!” Hilda reminds everyone. “She said that the Liniya Corporation helped us as well. That company has connections to people from our home regions who we’re very familiar with!”

“I heard this region is gigantic, so beyond this city, I’m not sure where to explore first,” Brendan admits. “It’s gonna be awesome, though!”

“The trainers who reside in this region are quite strong, so all of us better watch out,” Calem tells everyone.

“That’s right, so I hope ya four ain’t scared,” A male trainer calls out, catching the group’s attention. As they turn right to look in his direction, they see a group of six local trainers.

“Uh oh,” Brendan sweats a little. “These people look really serious.”

“We don’t mess around here,” A female trainer states.

“Come on, let’s give our guests the good old Calvana welcome,” Another female trainer tells the group of local trainers.

“Hm, what’s the Calvana welcome?” Leaf asks.

“We can tell you’re Pokémon Trainers, and we can tell you’re from abroad, so we challenge you,” Another female trainer replies.

“Lotta us ‘round here welcome trainers coming from abroad through Pokémon battles,” Another male trainer explains.

“You welcome people through Pokémon battles?! Rosa knows me so well! It’s been less than two hours since the four of us arrived, and I already love this region!” Hilda gushes. “We accept your challenge!” Calem, Brendan, and Leaf nod in agreement with Hilda.

“Follow us, there’s a public arena nearby,” Another male trainer states as all of the local trainers began to walk away, with Leaf, Brendan, Calem, and Hilda following behind.

“Huh, a public arena?” Brendan asks, scratching his left cheek.

“This city has hundreds of these arenas scattered all over, and then there are a lot of parks and plazas where trainers battle as well,” Leaf explains.

“Heh, this place really is amazing,” Brendan replies with a smile.

“Hildabots, let’s roll out!” Hilda proudly exclaims.

“Hilda, we aren’t robots,” Calem groans.

“Okay, how about the Hilda Ninjas?!”

“We aren’t ninjas, either,” Brendan retorts.

“Rosa calls her group the Rosa Force, so I’m gonna call us The L-Team!” Leaf exclaims, much to Hilda and Brendan’s amusement, while Calem lets out a long sigh.

“I’m not telling Leaf how bad that name sounds. Somebody else can tell her why The L-Team makes us sound like we‘re on a losing streak,” Calem murmurs to himself. 

“Wow, and these two boys think I’m bad at names?” Hilda murmurs to herself, faintly laughing.

“No chance, Leaf,” Brendan smirks. “Last night Big B took an L but today he’ll bounce back.”

Leaf glances leftwards towards Brendan, sporting a puzzled expression. “Why do you rarely make sense?”

“Looks who’s talking, Ms. L-Team,” Brendan cockily retorts, still smirking. Then, Brenda’s smirk warps into an embarrassed smile. “I meant that today, I’m gonna win like crazy...after that number two I took last night. Eh heh heh, never eat a loaded bean burrito with so much hot sauce....I spent almost an hour on the toilet.”

“Ew, you nasty boy!” Leaf wails, pinching her nose.

* * *

It’s now late afternoon, and Valen’s Victorian era blinds, attached vertically and decorated with ornate, floral patterns, have been shut to keep too much sunlight from beaming into Valen’s room. Valen lays on his bed, staring at the ceiling as he ponders recent events, while his old clock ticks by the second. Gardevoir's by his side, worried about the fact that Valen still lays on his bed and ponders a lot. Gardevoir may have a smug attitude and will tease her trainer, she genuinely does care for him, like all of his Pokémon do.

“You know, ever since I’ve started to communicate with Rosa again, the only time I’ve carried my pistol off the job is that one night when that unlucky Team Rocket member crossed my path....well, that started with Melanie, but Rosa amplified the feeling of safety. It’s feels like that I don’t need to be on high alert nor super serious all the time,” Valen tells his Gardevoir. “I’m beginning to understand that life isn’t about just being serious one hundred percent of the time. We all have emotions, we need to laugh, we need to love, and sometimes...well sometimes, we need to cry.” Gardevoir affectionately smiles upon hearing her trainer utter these words, relieved that her trainer is starting to change, albeit very slowly.

“There’s something about Rosa that makes my cold demeanor evaporate, even if it’s just a small portion of it,” Valen comments. “Is it her personality? Is it our history together? Is it both? Who knows, but what I do know is that I finally remembered what it’s like to be an actual person, not just a bitter soulless shell of a person, and you know what? It feels good to be happy more often. I’m still not on board with socializing, but maybe one day, that will change.”

Then, Valen closes his eyes, his mouth having curved into a triumphant smile. “The way I came in there atop Salamence was arguably the most badass thing I’ve ever done, even four years later.”

Valen phone rings, and Valen faintly smiles, not even checking to see it is before he picks up, already knowing who it will likely be. “You really won’t let me escape, will you?”

“Nopeeeee!” Rosa affirms on the other end of the line. “I’m checking up on you everyday to make sure you’re okay, Valen!”

“I’m guessing Melanie is behind all of this?” Valen visibly smiles with Gardevoir nodding in approval.

“Yep, she wants her friend back, and I want my sweetie back!”

“Oh yeah, I’m sorry for lying to you about my win total. It’s true that my win count is three.”

“You’re already forgiven, my Valey sweetie!” Rosa happily proclaims, before becoming a little more serious. “However, I would like to know why you feel the need to lie about your successes. There’s more to it, isn’t there?”

“Well, aside from not seeing why it’s worth bringing up, let’s just say I’ve been running from my past, with a few exceptions of course,” Valen admits. “Besides, I prefer to be hidden instead of swarmed like Melanie is. Heh, can you imagine the press gossiping about me?”

“Nopeeeee, that’s never gonna happen!” Rosa giggles. “Oh, I forgot to tell you that four of my other besties are coming to this region, and Dimitri is helping them via his program!

“Oh?” Valen piques up.

“Their names are Hilda, Calem, Brendan, and Leaf!” Rosa explains. “They’re all super strong trainers!”

“Good, because I want to battle, not befriend,” Valen replies.

“Yeah well, I want Valey as my Valey sweetie, not just Valey!” Rosa giggles.

“Keep trying,” Valen teases.

“Hehe, you’ll come around soon enough, because Team RV will be together forever!” Rosa cheerfully asserts. “Also, I told my other besties about your wins, but I didn’t say your name! I did tell Leaf that you’re my unofficial boyfriend though, because I’ll wait for you for as long as it takes!”

“Uh, I forgot to mention that I kinda already know Calem,” Valen sheepishly admits, much to Rosa’s surprise. “I haven’t spoken to him in a a while, though.”

“Oh noooooo, how did I forget about that!” Rosa wails. “Hmph, he better not spoil my surpriseeeee!”

“Relax, we both know Calem isn’t that type of guy,” Valen points out.

“Oh yeah, you’re right!”

“So, how are the other three?”

“Hilda looooves Pokémon battles and is a good person to have when handling events, Leaf's like my twin sister and she’d like to be an actress! Brendan's serious about battling but can be mischievous, and....eh heh heh, he’s got a weird sense of humor.”

“Whatever, you’re still my favorite.”

“I won again!”

“Your enthusiasm is so contagious that it makes me, the reaper, want to resurface after five years.”

“Wait. five years, the reaper.....Nooooooooooooooo! I’m soooooooooo stupid!” An embarrassed Rosa’s realizes what Valen just admitted to being. “H-How come I never picked up on this! You’re The Black Reaper, the awesome trainer who went poof from the pro circuit five years ago! I’ve been speaking to The Black Reaper this entire timeeeee!

“I vanished due to important work. I covered my tracks so well that nobody even knows it’s me,” Valen explains. “However, keep this information between Silver, Gladion, Calem, Serena, Dimitri, Melanie, you, and me, alright? I’m only telling you this because of our special relationship.”

“I’ll keep this amazing piece of information to myself, Valen!” Rosa cheerfully exclaims. “Oh my gooooosh, this is sooooooo cooooool! My Valey’s sooooo cooool! I was totally your biggest fan, and you’ve been my sweetie this entire time?! I had a huge crush on you because you were so cooool and dashing, to the point that I fantasized about marrying you hundreds of times! This one time, I had a dream where I married out, then I started swearing like a sailor when I realized it was only a dream! Tee-hee, I startled everybody!”

“I still love your contagious happiness.” Valen faintly chuckles over Rosa’s reaction. “You're a sweetheart. Thank you, Rosa." Valen's amused that Rosa still had marriage fantasies about him, even before knowing that Valen and The Black Reaper were the same person.

"Awwwww, thank you!" Rosa gushes. “If Valey doesn't want to me to tell anyone, then I'll respect my sweetie’s wishes! Anyway, you’re all mineeee! I’m not sharing you, kaaaay?”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Valen replies, sporting a placid smile.

* * *

It’s still late afternoon, and as the sun in the cloudless sky beams down both the city and the people in it, Leaf, Hilda, Calem, and Brendan are within the same area of Angel City. They’ve just finished up the battles with the locals. They’re a little bit tired, but are still eager to explore the massive city.

“We won all the battles but, those trainers were a tad bit harder than I expected,” Brendan remarks as the four of them stand outside of the circular, indoor battle arena, finished in silver paint.

“Who cares, because those battles were sooooo much fun!” Hilda happily exclaims. _“Maybe I’ll run into him! I even brought my posters of him with me! What if I even get to hang out with him?! Kyaaaaaaa!”_

“Anyway, since this is city is huge, I think it’s time we split up to explore,” Calem tells everyone.

“Okay, I’ll explore the northeast part of the city, as that’s where Sunset Studios is!” Leaf cheerfully exclaims.

“I’ll explore downtown,” Brendan informs everyone. “If anybody asks, your leader’s name is Big B, and he’s a muthafuckin’ P.I.M.P.

“Brendan, you’re an adult like the three of us, and you have won your region’s conference like the three of us.” Calem places his left hand on the middle of his face. “Please act sensible for once outside of a Pokémon battle, especially when abroad. We would all really appreciate it.”

“Don’t a player hater, dawg. Otherwise, you'll be sorry when my mixtape drops," Brendan continues to act smug as he starts to stroll off. “Hey, Leaf.”

“What’s up?” Leaf asks.

Brendan raises his eyebrows and looks back at Leaf with a devious grin. Brendan points his right index finger at Leaf, giving her a wink while clicking a tooth one time. “Remember, Big B loves it when you call him Big Poppa.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Hilda asks, staring and blinking in confusion as Brendan walks away.

"Throw your hands in the air if you're a true player!" Brendan shouts, throwing his hands up for a brief moment.

”Wait, what?” Leaf blinks.

“Seriously, Brendan?” Calem sighs. “You just had to go there, didn’t you?”

“Go where, Calem?” Hilda asks, still perplexed. “What did Brendan just do?”

Confusion turns into anger when it dawns on Leaf that Brendan used his rather peculiar sense of humor to mess with her. “Brendan, I’m gonna give you a Snorlax sized beating! I’ll beat you so badly that people as far as Galar will shed Hydro Cannon level of tears for you!” Leaf barks, her eyebrows narrowed downwards and her face burning bright red. Leaf jumps up in the air while moving her fists in a punching motion, and Hilda and Calem decide that they have to hold her back via grubbing her arms. Brendan strolls away with a triumphant smirk on his face.

“Leaf’s easy to mess with, so she’s only got herself to blame,” Brendan tells Hilda and Calem. “Big B’s a boss at battles and banter, and if you don’t know, now you know,” Brendan proudly states as he strolls out of sight. “The Notorious Brendan's outta here, player haters.”

“Hmph, May warned me about this, and I should have listened to her!” Leaf pouts as Hilda and Calem let go of her. Leaf stomps off in the opposite direction of Brendan.

Leaf continues to ramble as she walks away, while Hilda and Calem look at each other with dumbfounded expressions for about a minute before Hilda speaks. “In any case, I’m first gonna check out Angel City’s Pokémon Battle Museum! They've got a new permanent exhibits that displays tablets depicting early Pokémon battles from around seven thousand years ago. As the queen who's organized a pair of digs on behalf of the Nacrene City Museum, I must see it!” Hilda enthusiastically exclaims, her eyes gleaming with joy. “There’s even an original rules sheet for this region’s league dating back to 1755, a picture of the Elite Four from 1875, the original blueprints for Black Crown Stadium, and lots of other amazing things that are related to the history of Pokémon battles!”

“Have fun, Hilda,” Calem replies as he faintly smiles, starting to stroll off himself. “I guess I’ll figure out what to do as I go along.”

“Remember, don’t hesitate to ask for help if you need it,” Hilda tells Calem, smirking as she folds her arms. “You’re not the best when it comes to working in a group, not even our group!”

“Don’t worry about me, Hilda,” Calem replies with a more visible smile. Calem waves goodbye at Hilda as he strolls off. As Calem walks down the sidewalk, he thinks about his old friend. _"Valen, just what happened to you? Serena and I want to hear from you again."_

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this fic, Leaf, Brendan, Hilda, and Calem are in their early twenties. Got any thoughts on them? Who's your favorite among these four canon characters, based on these debuts? 
> 
> Hilda’s heavily based on Masters Hilda, but when working on her character in this headcanon, I added an element or two her manga counterpart. I’ve never fully read the B/W, nor do I read the manga regularly, but I thought being good at managing events and similar task would be a neat shtick for Hilda in the fic.
> 
> Brendan is a giant rap reference and a giant homage to Biggie Smalls.
> 
> Revisions include cuts, added dialogue, and dialogue/text alterations.


	11. Mr. Meanie

It’s been four days since Rosa reunited with Valen in person. Rosa's realized that Valen isn't the most outgoing person nowadays, so she's spent the last four days exploring the city on her own. Nevertheless, she’s made sure to consistently call Valen.

It’s a cloudless morning, and Rosa’s on her way to see Valen again. “Tee-hee, there’s so much to explore and so many trainers to battle! Maybe one day, my sweetie and I can hang out and go on dates all over this amazing city! He'll learn that in addition to being Battle Queen Rosa, I'm also Singing Queen Rosa!” Rosa exclaims as she strolls down a concrete sidewalk, taking a whiff of the air. “Valey Valey, let’s gooooo see Valey! Valey Valey, here I comeeeee, Valey!” Rosa cheerfully sings. ”Valeeeey, what kind of Pokémon are yoooou? How do you do the things you dooooo? Share with meeee your secrets deep insideeeeee! What kind of Pokémon are yoooou? I know you’re loyal through and through? I know you got a heart that's trueeeee! Valey, what kind of Pokémon are yooooou?” Rosa smells the aroma of flowers from the old flower shop she just passed by. This leads her into fantasizing about receiving flowers from Valen, which causes her eyes to sparkle. “Ooooh, my sweetie should give me black roses! I still can’t believe that my sweetie's The Black Reaper!”

Then, Rosa passes an old candy store, which causes her to licks her lips. Rosa's face becomes redder than her Volcarona's wings, envisioning a fantasy where Valen pulls up to her on a motorcycle while wearing a tuxedo. Rosa imagines tuxedo wearing Valen giving her flowers and sweets, and The Black Reaper's autograph. Then, a gushing Rosa envisions tuxedo wearing Valen getting down on his right knee and proposing to her. “Oh my gooooosh, can you imagine if I became The Black Reaper’s bride and his battling partner? Kyaaaaaaaaaaaa, that would be sooooo amazing!” Rosa exclaims, placing her hands on her cheeks as her eyes sparkle. “Tee-hee, I’d be squealing louder than an opera performance, the other girls would be saltier than the ocean, and my sweetie would nap like a Slaking while all of that was going on!”

Many people on the sidewalk and within the shops are amused by Rosa’s behavior, but her lively demeanor causes a number of them to feel at least a little bit happier. Meanwhile, Rosa continues to squeal like a fangirl. "Tee-hee, I wonder if he still has that black tuxedo of his! The one with the scythes on it, cuz that's how he got his nickname! Oooh, and I hope that he still has both of his black motorcycles! He looked so cool when riding those motorcycles!"

Rosa continues to stroll in a cheerful mood, but a menacing shadow lurks nearby, cackling when he notices Rosa. Unfortunately for Rosa, this is not a person she wants to run into ever again. Unlike her beloved Valen, she has the exact opposite memories of this guy. “Hello, Rosa.” His sinister voice sends shivers down Rosa’s spine The normally cheerful girl immediately recognizes the lowered tone of her sociopathic ex-boyfriend, causing her eyes to widen in terror as her smile evaporates from her face. Rosa becomes immobilized by fear and even sheds a few tears. She’s noticed that Lars Wagner, Team Rocket’s regional second-in-command, is right behind her via with his arms folded, via the reflection of a parked taxicab’s mirror. Rosa looks at his black trench coat, which is closed to hide the red R on the shirt underneath. Rosa makes a desperate attempt to avoid seeing the twisted grin on his face, closing her eyes in terror. “I just happened to be taking a stroll when I spotted you. So, how’ve you been?” Lars asks.

 _”Oh no, it’s him! I need to get out of this area as soon as possible, so why can’t I move?! Come on Rosa, you have to get away from him!”_ Fear not only prevents Rosa from moving, but it also prevents her from saying anything out loud. A terrified Rosa sheds more tears, remembering how big of a mistake Lars coerced her into making. _“Move, Rosa! You need to move now!”_

“Nothing to say to your valiant hero? Oh well, goodbye for now.” Lars calmly says, eerily chuckling to himself as he walks off. “I’m sure that I’ll run into you again, one way or another.” Rosa’s still extremely terrified, but decides that she has to revert back to being happy for her sake, and for everybody else’s sake. Regardless, she hastens her pace to Valen’s house. Lars secretly watches Rosa walk away from behind a store that has yet to open for the day. “You stupid girl, it’s always been your fault, not mine. Go on and run, run away like the sniveling little bitch that you are," Lars mutters, sporting a malevolent smile.

* * *

“I’ll fend Lars off by being my usual self!” Rosa tells herself as she enters Valen’s neighborhood. Then, Rosa stops, standing still while staring downwards at gray cobblestone that makes up the sidewalk. Rosa lets out a heavy sigh, biting her lower lip. “I can’t...I can't tell Valen about this...I want to keep him safe and happy-“ Rosa cuts herself off, not wanting Valen to see her acting so gloomy. Then, Rosa’s mouth curves into a sweet smile, having already decided that she’s going to be discreet. “Tee-hee, Rosa’s baaaack, and will surprise her Valey sweetie!”

Rosa dashes for Valen’s house, which is within the center of the neighborhood. The black fencing surrounding Valen’s house is filled with visible opens due to the ornate pattern within it. Rosa bets on Valen not paying attention, Valen’s eyes being closed, or both. Sure enough, Valen exits his house and walks down the front steps while not paying attention, and with his eyes closed.

Valen walks out of his front yard, completely unaware that he just walked past Rosa. “Alright, so Melanie's busy and Arthur vanished like how half the fudge cookies vanished when I left them around Luxray, so I guess I have to find-” Valen feels someone jumping on his back, causing him to faintly smirk. “Hi.”

“Hiiii, whatchaaaa dooooing?!” Rosa wraps her arms around Valen’s upper chest and his upper arms, giving him a kiss on the top of his head.

Valen re-opens his eyes and glances back at Rosa, looking more stern and perplexed. “I can’t do anything when you’re grabbing onto me like this. You’re even hindering my arm movement with the way you grabbed me.”

“Oh noooo, you’re right!” Rosa’s mouth drops open in shock. Then, Rosa pretends to be sad, faking a frown and pretending like her eyes are about to drip tears. “Awwww, but I don’t wanna let gooooooo! Can you carry me? Pretty pleaseeeeeee?”

“Eh, I was gonna look for you anyway.” Valen‘s mouth curves into a more visible smile, looking away to hide the the fact he’s blushing. “It’s just us this time around.”

“Awwwww, less besties!” Rosa pouts, before her usual demeanor quickly returns. “However, that means I have you all to myself! Yay, I won again!”

“Heh, it really is nice to feel like an actual person,” Valen admits, his smile growing even wider.

“Tee-hee, Super Rosa saved the day!”

“Soooo, are you going to let go or-”

“Roar, Rosa used Take Down! Grrrr, feel my power!” Rosa sports a winsome smile as she uses her entire body to gently force Valen to kneel and fall.

“Oh no, whatever will I do? I'm so terrified of this adorable pain in my ass. Ahhhhhh, I have been defeated.” Valen yawns like a Slowpoke, suddenly indifferent to Rosa's antics.

“Roar, Rosa used Sweet Kiss!” Rosa playfully kisses Valen on the top of his head again.

Valen yawns again, but then he smirks when he realizes how he can get Rosa to allow him to get back up off the ground. “If you let me stand back up, I’ll say that line.”

“Wait, you mean-”

“Yep, the reaper’s line,” Valen sports a prideful smirk.

“Kaaaay, but say it first!”

“The name’s Reaper.” Valen glances back at Rosa, now sporting a a prideful grin. “The Black Reaper.”

“Kyaaaaaaaaaa, so cooooool!” Rosa squeals allows Valen to get back up, but still has her arms wrapped around him. Rosa's eyes sparkle like stars in the night sky, her face reddening immensely. “Say it again! Say it again! Say it again! Say it again! Say it again! Kyaaaaaaaaaaaa!”

“Later, because we have company.” Valen tilts his head to his right to indicate somebody is getting closer to them. “We don't usually have people walking through here, unless they live here.”

“Oh? I wonder who this person could be.” Rosa looks in the direction that Valen tilted his head towards, noticing a confused girl about her age slowly walking past. She’s seemingly unaware of Rosa and Valen's presence as she gets closer. When she notices the white bucket hat, sleeveless light blue shirt, and pinkish-red skirt that the girl’s wearing, Rosa’s mouth curves into an inviting smile. The girl turns out to be none other than Leaf, who's somehow found her into Valen’s neighborhood. “Hiiii, Leaf!” Rosa exclaims, causing Leaf to perk up.

Leaf turns her head towards Rosa and waves. “Hiii!” Leaf exclaims, sporting a beaming smile. Leaf notices that Rosa’s got her arms wrapped around a guy wearing a leather jacket, and she’s very charmed by this sight. “Awwww, you two are soooo cuteeeee!” Leaf giggles.

“I’m not cute,” Valen groans, secretly relieved that he didn't accidentally expose his past persona to this girl.

“Valen, here’s one of the besties that I invited,” Rosa happily informs Valen as she gets off of his back. “She’s from Kanto!”

Leaf greets an unamused Valen with a wide, radiant smile. “Hi, my name is Leaf! It’s nice to meet you.”

Valen closes his eyes again, placing his hands in his pockets. “Bye, my name is irrelevant. It’s not nice to meet you.”

Leaf giggles at Valen's indifference, much to his annoyance. “Ooooh, we have a mysterious bad boy!”

Valen lets out another deep sigh, remembering how tiring he finds socializing to be in most cases. “Why does nobody listen to me?”

“His name’s Valey!” Rosa giggles.

“Rosa, that’s not my name,” Valen counters. _“It’s an adorable nickname, though.”_

Leaf giggles upon nearing the nickname Rosa gave Valen. “Awww, what a cute name! Can I use it too?”

Valen snorts. “No, only Rosa can call me that.”

“Kaaaay, Leaf!” Rosa happily closes her eyes, sporting a broad smile.

“Yaaaay, thanks Rosa!” Leaf cheerfully exclaims, also sporting a wide smile.

“Rosa, you should have invited Red, because I like Red better.”

“Huh?!" Rosa gasps. “Valen, you know Red?!”

Leaf's mouth slightly falls open, thinking, _“Wait a minute, could this be the same Valen that Red and Blue mentioned? I think Rosa's mentioned somebody named Valen in the past too!”_

Valen’s mouth curves into a faint smile. “You forgot, Rosa? I told you this a long time ago.”

“O-Oops, I guess I-”

“Heeeeey, focus on me, you meanie guy!” Leaf's eyebrows narrow downward, placing her hands on her hips as she fixates an annoyed glare towards Valen. “I’m here and Red isn’t, so focus on meeee!”

“Don’t nag me,” Valen retorts.

“Heeeey, be niceeee!” Leaf wails.

Valen lets out a mocking laugh. “No.”

“Bad Valey!” Rosa wails. “Grrr, Bad Valey made Rosa mad!”

“Oh noooo, I’m sooo scared.” Valen continues his attempt to set a record for the most yawns in one day, still indifferent to everything going on around him.

Rosa turns her attention back to Leaf, looking a little perplexed by Leaf's sudden appearance. “Meanie Valey aside, what are you doing here?”

Leaf places her right hand on the back of her head, closing her eyes and smiles in embarrassment. “Eh heh heh, I kinda got lost on the way to Sunset Studios.”

Valen couldn't care about Leaf’s attempt at an acting career, because he wants to see how good of a trainer she is, even though he doesn’t feel like battling her himself. “In any case, who’s the stronger trainer between you two?”

“Me!” Both Rosa and Leaf shout at the same time in jubilation, but discreetly glance at each other in disapproval.

Valen’s mouth curves into a wide mischievous smirk, as he decides to have a little fun. “Who’s the more adorable trainer?” 

“Definitely me!” Rosa and Leaf shout are now glaring at each other in annoyance, while Valen is very proud of himself over what he just started, to the point where he secretly laughs to himself.

Rosa stomps her right foot and places her hands on her hips. “Noooooooo, Rosa’s the most adorable girl ever!”

Leaf places her left hand on her hip and wags her right index finger at Rosa, stating, “Nuh uh, Leaf’s the most adorable girl ever!”

“Grrrr, Rosa squish you!”

“Hee hee, bring it on!”

Valen's mouth curves into a faint, affectionate smile as he pats Rosa on her head. “Rosa's best girl.”

Rosa blushes as she grins over Valen's comment, her eyes closed in happiness. “Awwww, you’re so sweet, Valen!”

Leaf becomes more agitated, screaming, “You’re wrong, Valen!”

“Oh, is that so?” Valen glances to his left towards leaf, sporting a prideful smirk. "

Rosa's demeanor changes as she fold her arms, narrowing her eyebrows downwards and glaring at Leaf with like she's about to pick a fight. “No waaaaay, Rosa soooo much better and cuter than Leaf! Valen just proved that!”

Leaf also folds her arms and glares at Rosa like she accepts Rosa's challenge to a fight. “Rosa’s soooo not better and cuter than Leaf!”

Valen faintly laughs, pleased that he made things more interesting, at least more interesting for him. “These two are so similar that I knew they’d argue over such a thing.”

Rosa jumps up and down, pretending that she’s about to enter a boxing match. “Fight me! Wam! Bam! Pow!”

Leaf emulates Rosa, minus the jumping. “Kaaaay, but whoever wins this feud gets to be Valey’s girlfriend!” Leaf jokes, causing Rosa to hiss.

Valen blinks in confusion with a slack-jawed expression. “What?” Valen asks in a deadpan tone.

Rosa closes her eyes and folds her arms, boisterously laughing at Leaf's remark. “You can never take my place!”

Leaf wags her right index finger at Rosa, giving her a wink. “Tsk tsk tsk, watch meee!” Leaf jokes.

“You two are Pokémon Trainers,” Valen chimes in, reverting back to looking very proud over the mischief he caused. “So, both of you need to act like Pokémon Trainers and settle it in a Pokémon battle.”

“Gladly!” Both Leaf and Rosa fixate glares at each other.

“Anyway, since Rosa now lives abroad in this region, she should partake in our regional custom.”

Leaf perks up, remembering her first encounter with this custom a couple of days ago. “Oh yeah, the four of us encountered that ourselves! That was soooo cool!”

* * *

Valen has taken Rosa to the same battle arena that they had their tag match in with Melanie and Arthur, whom Valen secretly wishes were here with him to save him from the horror he knows as socializing. Both Leaf and Rosa take a whiff of the pleasant aroma surrounding them, then both girls take out a Poké Ball, eagerly ready to start the battle. As he stands several behind behind Rosa, Valen’s secretly looking forward to seeing which Pokémon each of them will use.

"I'll use this Pokémon because my sweetie really wants to see him in action!" Rosa presses the button on Poké Ball to her Pokémon out, and much to Valen's delight, Rosa has chosen to use her Hydreigon. Rosa's Hydreigon lets out and thunderous, intimidating roar like there's an invisible thunderstorm in the cloudless, early afternoon sky. The ferocious, three-headed dragon’s roar sends shockwaves through the ground and air, causing Valen to faintly smile as it reminds him so much of his own dragon.

“Heh, she still doesn’t realize that I faked it,” Valen murmurs with a smirk. “I remember Hydreigon.”

“If you’re using your Hydreigon, then I’ll use this Pokémon!” Leaf presses the button on Poké Ball to her Pokémon out, and much to Valen's surprise, Leaf’s sent out a Tyranitar. The menacing, armored bipedal lets out booming roar like it's an apex predator announcing itself as the king of the mountains, and this roar also sends shockwaves through the ground and air.

Valen's surprise turns into secret excitement, because this is what Valen loves to see in a battle: Two intimidatingly strong Pokémon about to duke it out. _“Looks like this Tyranitar has Unnerve, as Sand Stream would have kicked in immediately,”_ Valen thinks to himself.

Rosa jumps up and down in excitement over seeing Leaf’s Tyranitar, stating, “Two adorable girls with two tough to tame Pokémon!”

Leaf makes a piece sign with her left index finger and her middle finger, replying, “Yeeeeep, we're just that awesomeeee!”

Rosa forms fists with both of her hands and makes punching motions with both fists. “Tee-hee, few people will see it coming! It's time for the big bad battle, Leaf!”

“Kaaay, bring it on!” Leaf replies as she mimics Rosa's gesture.

“Roar, here comes Hydreigon!”

“Grr, here comes Tyranitar!”

“This is gonna be one badass Pokémon battle.” Valen keenly studies both Tyranitar and Hydreigon with a wide grin. _“Causing these two to argue over who's more adorable was a great idea, but we all know that Rosa's best girl.”_

"No more waiting around, Rosa!" Leaf narrows her eyebrows downwards, fixating a competitive glare at Rosa, with their Pokémon giving each other the same look. “Tyranitar, let's start this show with Dragon Claw!” Rosa eyes widen in surprise and Valen faintly grins as both of Tyranitar's claws glow light blue. With another roar that causes shockwaves, the green, armored Pokémon charges at Hydreigon, but Rosa is ready to launch a counterattack.

“Use Flash Cannon, then follow it up with Dragon Pulse!” Rosa commands. Hydreigon narrowly evades Tyranitar's repeated attempts to land a blow with Dragon Claw by slightly backing up and rapidly moving from left to right, and vice versa. At the same time, small orbs of silver energy begins to form and merge inside of the purplish, black dragon’s main mouth. Then, as Tyranitar remains in close proximity, Hydreigon fires a powerful beam of silver energy, and Tyranitar is hit in the upper chest, sending him staggering backwards several feet. As Tyranitar reels from the powerful, super effective attack, a pitch black sphere of energy forms in front of Hydreigon's main mouth, and Hydreigon launches his Dragon Pulse attack, which also strikes Tyranitar in the upper chest, slightly above the diamond-shaped section that decorates the middle of his chest. Like Flash Cannon, Dragon Pulse causes Tyranitar to stagger backwards, albeit the staggering is less due to taking normal damage from this attack. Tyranitar's able to pull himself back together, exchange a fierce glare with Hydreigon.

An indifferent Valen undergoes a sudden personality change, his mouth curving into a wide grin. “Go, Rosa!” Valen bends his elbows while holding up his fists in front of him. “Kick her butt, best girl! Go-” Valen cuts himself off, his face beginning to redden as his eyes widen. _“Oh no, I’m becoming a Rosa fanboy! Nooooooo!”_

Leaf pouts as she folds her arms, thinking, _“How can someone be sooooo rude and cute at the same time?!”_

Rosa giggles at Valen's unexpected cheering, folding her arms in pride. “I’m Battle Queen Rosa, so of course I’ll kick her butt!”

Leaf still has her arms folded as she attempts to say a comeback line, smiling in embarrassment while doing so. “I don’t think so, because I’m Leaf the...err, I need a cool name, eh heh heh....can I get a little help here?”

Valen grins upon having an opportunity to crack a joke at Leaf's expense. “Your name can be The Wannabe Rosa.” Valen’s joke causes Rosa, her Hydreigon, and even Leaf’s Tyranitar chuckle to themselves.

Leaf pouts again and glares at Valen. “Heeeey, I said be nice!”

“No, because Rosa's best girl," Valen retorts, pointing towards Rosa. “You can't match this mixture of perfection.”

“Tee-hee, noooo she can't!” Rosa giggles.

Leaf erupts, placing her hands on her hips, and fixating a ferocious glare at a yawning Valen, her eyebrows narrowing downward. “I will not stop until I become your friend, Mr. Meanie! Rosa said nice things about you, and I will see that side of you!” Valen yawns again in response to Leaf’s remark.

A prideful Rosa closes her eyes and folds her arms, thinking, _“I forgot to tell her than I'm Valen's special exception.”_

Leaf's pouting turns into a confident grin— she's just decided that she can at least earn Valen’s respect as a trainer by defeating Rosa. “Tyranitar, use Focus Blast!” Tyranitar places both of his hands in front of him and a light blue orb of energy forms in between them. Tyranitar roars as he quickly fires off his Focus Blast attack so that Hydreigon has little to no time to evade or counterattack. The light blue orb strikes Hydreigon just under his main head, sending him reeling from taking a powerful, super effective attack. However, this fiery dragon still very much in this fight, letting out a mighty roar to signal this.

“Here's something that Hydreigon learned in Galar, and it's all because I remembered my Valey sweetie and his super cool Salamence!” Rosa proudly exclaims.

Leaf’s taken aback by the news that Valen has managed to tame a Salamence, her eyes widening as she realizes that Valen isn't a trainer to be underestimated. _“If this is the same Valen, then this guy held his own against Red and Blue!”_ However, Leaf snaps back into focus as Rosa's Hydreigon readies to strike, awaiting his trainer's command.

“Use Hydro Pump!” Leaf and her Tyranitar are taken by surprise as Hydreigon launches a powerful stream of water from his main mouth. As Tyranitar's hit by the stream of water in the face, even Valen gapes at the sight of a Hydreigon using Hydro Pump. However, Valen's shock quickly turns into an approving, affectionate smile as he looks directly at Rosa. Rosa turns her head and gives Valen a cocky wink and a thumbs up.

“Heeeey, look over here!” Leaf calls out to Rosa as Tyranitar regains his composure. Rosa turns her attention back to the battle.

“Dark Pulse!” Both Rosa and Leaf command at the same time. Purple and black energy begins to gather in Tyranitar's mouth, while pitch black energy gathers inside Hydreigon's main mouth. Tyranitar fires off a stream of purple and black circles, while Hydreigon fires off a stream of pitch black circles. Both streams of circles collide and cause a somewhat large explosion as a result, causing a lot of smoke to bellow.

“Evenly matched, eh? Well, it wouldn't be any fun to watch if it wasn't.” Valen still has a wide grin on his face as he eagerly awaits for the smoke to clear.

“Earthquake!” Rosa commands before the smoke fully clears. Hydreigon uses all three of his heads to let out the most brutal, thunderous roar he can, sending a flurry of white shockwaves towards Tyranitar. As the last of the smoke clears, Tyranitar is hit and gets sent reeling to the point where he slightly kneels over with his eyes closed.

“Come on, Tyranitar!” Leaf shouts words of encouragement.

“Use Hydro Pump again!” Hydreigon fires a powerful stream of water from his main mouth a second time, and as Tyranitar is still reeling from Earthquake, the Hydro Pump attack strikes him on the top of his spiky head, as the armored Pokémon's still slightly kneeling over from the last attack. Leaf begins to sweat, becoming nervous about the outcome of the battle.

Rosa has no plans to stop her relentless assault. “Flash Cannon!” Like at the start of the battle, small orbs of silver energy begins to form and merge inside of Hydreigon's main mouth, and Hydreigon fires a powerful stream of silver energy, which strikes Tyranitar on the top of his head. Tyranitar is having a very difficult time trying to regain its composure, as it has just taken three powerful super effective attacks in a row.

”Heh, Rosa’s still relentless and ruthless in a battle,” Valen murmurs as he smiles proudly at Rosa. “That's my girl.”

“Oh no, this isn't looking good,” Leaf nervously observes with a tight-lipped smile, realizing that she may have underestimated Rosa earlier.

“Sorry Leaf, but Battle Queen Rosa is taking this victory home! Hydreigon, use Hyper Beam”

“Tyranitar, use Focus Blast, and use it quickly!” Tyranitar is finally able to pull itself together, and just as Hydreigon is preparing to use Hyper Beam, as evident by the pitch black orb of energy that's starting to gather within his main mouth, Tyranitar is able to prevent the attacking from happing by forming a light blue orb of energy between its hands and rapidly launching it at Hydreigon. Rosa's eyes briefly widen in shock as she really thought she was about to win this battle, but her gaping mouth quickly turns into a wide smile.

Rosa's reason for such a wide smile is that Valen's gotten so into the battle that his old self has slightly leaked out, and she spotted his wide grin. In fact, the grin plastered on Valen's face is the widest one she's seen since she reunited with him in person. “Come on, Rosa! The best girl's gotta win!” Valen shouts words of encouragement towards Rosa. “Go, best girl Rosa! Gooooooo, best girl! If you're calling yourself the queen, then you gotta win this!” Rosa turns her head and gives Valen a cocky wink in response.

Upon hearing and seeing this side of Valen again, Leaf smiles. “I will see more of Mr. Sweetie one day, Mr. Meanie,” Leaf murmurs. Then, Leaf turns her attention back to the battle. “Brick Break!” As Hydreigon is pulling himself together, Tyranitar charges at him, his entire right hand glowing white. Right when Hydreigon can launch a counterattack, Tyranitar strikes the dragon with the right side of his glowing hand, landing a blow within the middle of Hydreigon's body.

“Dragon Claw!” As Hydreigon reels from Brick Break, both of Tyranitar's claws glow light blue and Tyranitar strikes with both claws at the same time, sending Hydreigon reeling even further.

“Oh noooooooooo!” Rosa jumps up and down with her eyes closed. “No no no no no! I can't lose in front of my sweetieeeee!”

“Then don't lose in front your sweetie,” Valen calmly replies. As Rosa glances behind her towards him, Valen closes his eyes and places his hands in his pocket, his usual personality having returned. Nevertheless, Valen's still enjoying himself, as evident by his faint smile.

Rosa reverts back to her cheerful self, now even more determined to win this battle. Both Pokémon are panting in exhaustion. Rosa sees this as her chance to win the battle right here, right now. “Let's try this again! Hydregion, use Hyper Beam!” Hydreigon's able to pull himself together, and another pitch black orb of energy forms within his main mouth. Then, Hydreigon fires a massive, pitch black beam of energy at Tyranitar. Tyranitar's too exhausted to counterattack or dodge, and Hydreigon's Hyper Beam hits him in the middle of his chest. Tyranitar's sent backwards several feet, falling to the ground in defeat.

Rosa jumps up and down in jubilation, shouting, “I did it! I won! I won!”

“That's my girl,” Valen murmurs to himself with his eyes closed, his mouth curving into a wider smile. Then, Valen feels like a Pokémon rammed into him via Tackle. Valen opens his eyes, which immediately widen in surprise. Rosa has tackled him to the ground again, embracing him by placing her arms around her neck.

“It's all thanks to your encouragement!” Rosa happily proclaims with her eyes closed, while Valen's face turns red in embarrassment.

“N-No, this was all y-yo-you.” Valen takes a deep breath. “You won this because of yourself and your Hydreigon.” 

“Tee-hee, I guess you’re right!” Rosa happily exclaims. “You still cheered me on, though!”

“Get some rest, Tyranitar.” Leaf recalls her Pokémon, then she approaches Valen, Rosa, and Rosa's Hydreigon while giggling loudly. "Awwww, you got him flustered, Rosa!"

Valen tries to stand back up, but Rosa bops him and pins him down, refusing to let him stand up this time. Rosa re-opens her eyes, asking, “Valen, can Leaf and I invite Brendan, Calem, and Hilda to this spot?”

Valen regains his composure and closes his eyes again, now indifferent to the fact that Rosa won't let him stand back up. “I’m not the boss, so go ahead.”

“Tee-hee, thanks!” Rosa exclaims.

“Thanks, Mr. Meanie!” Leaf exclaims.

“You’re not welcome," Valen replies, snickering to himself.

Rosa pouts, scolding, “Valen, be nice!”

“The number you have called is no longer in service," Valen retorts, still snickering.

“Hmph, I will befriend you and see more of your sweet side, Mr. Meanie!” Leaf pouts.

“Hahaha, that’s a good one!” Then, Valen decides to become a little bit friendlier, and his mouth curves into a faint smirk. “However, only a fool would ignore your skills as a Pokémon Trainer. You have my respect, and that was one badass battle.”

Leaf's ecstatic that Valen respects her as a fellow trainer. “Thank you, Mr. Meanie!”

“Since Rosa won't let me get up, I'm just gonna use her as a blanket and take a nap on the grass, so goodnight.” Valen continues to smirk as he begins to take a nap, much to the bewilderment of Leaf, Rosa, and Rosa's Hydreigon. Then, Rosa takes a peek at her cell phone. Rosa notices that it’s not even one in the afternoon, and yet Valen’s already said goodnight.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, Hydreigon can actually be taught Hydro Pump in Sword & Shield. I saw it while looking up the moves it can learn when writing the battle. 
> 
> Got any thoughts on this chapter? Are you Team Rosa or Team Leaf? Do you like Valen’s new nickname?
> 
> Revisions include Leaf’s thoughts, extended dialogue, dialogue alterations, and added details.


	12. It’s All My Fault

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mental abuse and manipulation are present in this chapter.

After her battle with Leaf, Rosa spent the day hanging out with Valen. It is now a cloudless evening, and Rosa cheerfully strolls back home through the same area she had encountered Lars during the late morning, but she refuses to let that encounter get to her. However, Lars isn't done with he. Pretty soon, Rosa will be fearing for her safety.

After a little while, Rosa's smile vanishes as an ominous sense of dread engulfs her mind and body. "Why do I feel like somebody is following me?" Rosa glances backwards, and she becomes very concerned for her safety, as she spots three men in suits that seem to be trailing her from a distance. _“Huh, who’re those scary looking guys?”_ Rosa hastens her pace, trying to get home as soon as possible. All three men pretend to be window shopping by glancing over at all the stores to their left, but as she hastens her pace, Rosa shudders as she feels that their intimidating glares bearing down on her. What scares Rosa even more is that all three look like they’re armed, as they each have their left hand under their suit jackets, as if they're about to pull out their guns.

Rosa’s worst fears are confirmed when she briefly sees an occupied holster on the belt of one of the men. Rosa immediately hides behind a parked delivery van, trembling in fear as thoughts race through her mind. Rosa’s first thought is that they are police officers, but she reminds herself that it’s not the police she’s running from, as she did nothing wrong. Her second thought is that thugs sent by Lars are following her. Regardless, it terrifies Rosa so much that tears begin to stream down her cheeks. _“I need to lay low, but then Valen might think, that I don’t care for him anymore, making this a really bad situation for both of us, but I don't want anything bad happening to Valen.”_ As the three men stroll past without saying a word, Rosa immediately calls out her Hydreigon. “Hydreigon, please help me to get out of here, because I’m being followed by dangerous people.” Hydreigon tells his trainer not to worry via a soft sounding roar, and he watches for any danger or suspicious activity as Rosa starts to walk back to her house at a rapid pace.

As she walks as quick as she can, Hydreigon turns around and begins to snarl like he’s about to attack, which causes Rosa to stop. When Rosa turns her head to see what Hydreigon saw, she trembles in fear again. Hydreigon's snarling at a black sedan that’s driving at a slow pace. Within the sedan are four suited men, and as Rosa takes cover behind her Hydreigon. The now aggressive Hydreigon snarls even louder when he sees that the two in the back have assault rifles, or large long weapons from the dragon's point of view.

The car drives past Rosa and Hydreigon without incident. Nevertheless, Hydreigon still keeps an eye out for trouble. “I really don’t want to get Valen involved, so I'll have to figure out another way to go about this....even if it means doing the one thing I dread doing." Rosa sighs.

* * *

Rosa's not left her house since yesterday evening. It’s now a cloudy mid-afternoon, and while Rosa's been spooked so badly that she still wants to lay low, she's got something that she feels that she needs to do.

Rosa anxiously paces around Valen’s front yard, deeply afraid of what’s going to happen when they talk. She had already called Valen and is waiting for him to step outside. Rosa fights back her somberness and fear as Valen opens the door and strolls outside. _I need to go into hiding as soon as possible...but in the process...I'll hurt him badly. It’s a lose-lose situation, but I don’t want to put Valen in danger.”_ Rosa feels chills throughout her body, dreading how this will turn out. 

“Rosa, you wanted to speak to me?” Valen asks as he walks down his front steps, his eyebrows raised out of curiosity. _“This is very sudden, but she sounds very worried.”_

“Yeah, but I’m in a hurry so I can’t come inside.” Rosa feels a sinking feeling within her. She hates that she's doing this to Valen, but she's deeply concerned for Valen’s well being. After all, what if the same men who have been trailing her also start to trail Valen as well?

Valen rapidly blinks, becoming very perplexed by this. “....Alright, so what’s up?”

“Well, I’m thinking about going back to Unova soon.” Rosa falsely admits, feeling a thickness in her throat. _"I have to lie to Valen....I'm so weak....sorry, Valen."_

Valen’s eyes widen in shock, but he's able to maintain his composure for now. “Well, it’s your home region,” Valen replies with a faint smile. “I can understand that.”

“It might be as early as next week,” Rosa replies, biting her lower lip.

“Why? You just got here, Rosa.” Valen sports a frown, his eyebrows drawing together, However, Valen’s no fool, and he senses that something’s up. _“This is way too sudden. She was so happy to come here, and now she wants to leave? Did I do something wrong?”_

“I know, but, I can always come back.” Rosa points out.

“I guess, but why so suddenly? What about your dreams?” Valen asks, unable to shake the feeling that Rosa is hiding something. _“What did I do wrong?” Please, just tell me what I did wrong."_

“Sorry Valey, but I already miss Unova,” Rosa replies with a forced smile. “Of course, we’ll keep in touch on a regular basis, and I love this region, but I really should go back to Unova soon. Thanks for showing me at least some of your home, Valen.”

“Well, alright, I won’t stop you. It’s not like being alone and miserable is new for me,” Valen replies, his eyebrows pulling downwards as his voice cracks with emotion. Valen’s limbs and muscles become heavy as he starts to cry. “I’ll miss you greatly, but I’ll respect your decision.”

Rosa’s forced smile turning into a genuine frown, thinking, _“Oh no...I was afraid of this...it’s all because I was so stupid when I was seventeen! I made a horrible mistake, and I just made another!”_

Valen bows his head, feeling such deep sorrow that he has to look away from Rosa. Valen sheds more tears, but attempts to keep himself composed as rage starts to build up within him. “Go on back to Unova. It’s your home, so you should go back to Aspertia City. I’ll still cherish the time we spent together here, because thanks to you, I finally felt what both being happy and having fun more often was like, and it felt good,” Valen says with a hard sigh. “The world’s too cold for us to be together in person to begin with.”

Rosa starts to tear up as well, as it breaks her heart to see Valen hurt. “Valen, please don’t cry! I hate seeing you cry! I’ll stay here with you!”

“...You’re leaving because you don’t actually love me anymore, do you?” Valen’s demeanor changes from intense sadness to intense rage, giving Rosa such an icy glare that it terrifies her. “Whatever I did wrong, did you lie afterwards just to make me feel better?”

Rosa’s tear filled eyes widen in shock. Rosa still believes that it’s best for Valen to not know the truth. She doesn’t want him to be followed by the same men “N-No, I....I still love you!”

“Stop lying.” Valen clenches his teeth in anger, on the verge of exploding with the full extent of his bitterness. “Just fucking admit it.”

“I won’t admit something that’s not true!” Rosa angrily retorts.

“This is way too sudden to not have an ulterior motive.”

“W-What are you-“

“It's because you don’t love me anymore, right?” Valen asks, sporting a scowl. “Just admit the truth, Rosa. I must have done something wrong. I always fuck things up.”

More tears start to stream down Rosa’s face. “No, I do love you! I’ll always love you!”

“Be honest,” Valen growls. “I’m a war veteran....abandonment in civilian life....that's nothing new to me.”

“W-Wait-“

“...I should have known.” Tears flood down Valen’s cheeks as he forms fists with both hands, his eyebrows angling downwards “I thought you’re way better than this...I guess I was wrong. Whatever I did wrong was...enough to ruin our future for good.”

“Don’t say such things! I’m not-“

Valen can't contain the full extent of his bitterness. He clenches his teeth, then erupts like a volcano. “We’re garbage to this fucking society! If you want me to be kind, then tell society to be kind to war veterans! We don't exist in their eyes! Do I exist in your eyes, Rosa?! Answer me!"

As Valen’s eyes burn with hatred, Rosa bows her down as her tears increase at a rapid pace. “....All this anger and hatred....it’s all directed towards me.” Rosa winces. Rosa attempts to pull herself together and looks back up at a furious Valen, who takes deep breaths in anger. “Valen, you do exist in my eyes! I’d never abandon you! I swear I’d never abandon you!”

“If that’s true, then where the fuck were you when I thought about suicide?!” Valen erupts again, feeling an increase in his blood pressure as he seethes with intense rage. “Where the fuck were any of you when I lost military brothers and sisters to suicide?! I've lost eleven comrades after the war! None of you bastards give a shit about what happens to war veterans! We risk our lives for you assholes, then you leave us to die within our own fucking regions! Fuck all of you! Fuck this entire world!"

Rosa feels nauseous as she backs up a few feet. A shudder sweeps through Rosa’s whole body as she shuts her eyes—nothing's ever left her this horrified and devastated. "N-No....please no....please tell me that you....didn't just say that. You....you....you could have....I could have lost you....forever.” Rosa grimaces. “I really....I really did fail you.” Rosa places her left hand over her hurting, dully thudding heart. Rosa places her right hand over her painfully tightened ribs. She can’t believe how much Valen’s changed, compared to the Valen that approached her four years ago. As tears flood down her face, Rosa bites her lower lip and bows her head.

Valen continues his tirade, growling, “Drop the bullshit and tell me what I did wrong!" 

Rosa lifts her head up, pleading, "W-Wait, p-please hear me out! Valen, you know me! I don’t mean to cause you any trouble or pain! I promise that I still love you! I love you with all my heart!”

“Tell me the fucking truth!" Valen screams at the top of his lungs. "Tell me what the fuck I did wrong instead of lying to me!"

"Nothing, you didn't nothing wrong!" Rosa shouts. "My world will be shattered if I know I’ll never have you have in my life ever again! I need you in my life!"

“Tell me what I did wrong!" Valen demands. "Tell me right now!"

 _"I just wanted to protect him! I didn’t want to cause all this!"_ Rosa runs out of Valen’s front yard, sobbing loudly as the latter watches. " _I’m such an idiot! I’m sorry, Valen!”_

”Hmph, I thought she loved me. Whatever, I’m going back inside.” Valen walks back into his house, showing no emotion as Rosa’s cries grows fainter in the distance. “So much for actually being happy and having fun.”

* * *

Rosa’s walking through a quiet commercial district, and while she does smell the mouth watering aroma coming from a restaurant that she walks by, the normally cheerful Rosa is far too upset and angry to pay any attention to it. Her mind is fully occupied by how badly the talk with Valen went, but Rosa’s not furious at him. Yes, she should be furious at him for not listening to her and for being harsh towards her, but she can’t do it. She can’t bring herself to be mad at Valen. Valen means the world to her, and her foolish miscalculation has her thinking that he will never love her again, especially if he thinks that she doesn’t love him anymore.

 _“This is bad...really bad. Not only did I really hurt him, but what if I actually need his help?”_ Rosa seethes with rage, forming fists with both of her hands. “This is all your fault, Lars! You’ve ruined my life, and you took away the love of my life! He’ll never want to see me again!”

Then, Rosa comes to an abrupt halt, her eyes widening and shaking again. Rosa has become so horrified that she has to contain a loud scream by placing her left hand over her mouth, but she feels unable to barge ahead as she's immobilized by fear. She’s horrified because the red dot of a sniper rifle has just appeared in front of her. The red dot is right next to her on a wall, as if someone is warning her to back off, or to not to talk to anyone. Rosa shivers in terror as tears of both sadness and terror flooding down her face. Then, a black SUV drives past Rosa, and Rosa catches a glimpse of a shotgun wielding by a suited man sitting in the backseat. The man eerily smiles at Rosa and lifts up the shotgun in full view of her, making a “shhhh” gesture with his right middle finger. A second suited man sitting to the right to him cackles as he lifts up an assault rifle in full view of Rosa, but the SUV drives off and the red dot disappears.

As tears flood down her cheeks, Rosa's so terrified that she can’t even bring herself to call out any of her Pokémon. “....I guess now I can lay low. Not only did I hurt somebody that I truly love, but he might be the only person that I know who could help me out here.”

* * *

It’s now evening, and Rosa’s been unable to do anything else. Rosa's back at her house, staring at all the photos of her and Valen as tears flood down her face. “I never...I never imagined that Valen...Valen’s suffering was this bad. So much bitterness, anger, hatred....and he was even suicidal at one point." Rosa grimaces. "If I had known the full extent of his emotional state, I’d never have attempted something so stupid.”

Rosa shuts her eyes, sobbing, “We were happy, and I ruined it! Lars was right about me! I’m a dirty liar! I’m an evil monster just like he is!” Rosa tries to pull herself together, wanting to think about her next move. “So, now what do I do? Do I run back to Unova like the coward Lars said I was....or do I stay and fight....trying to fix the mess that I caused?”

Rosa wipes away her remaining tears via the right sleeve of her white and ice blue top. Rosa forms fists with both of her hands, furrowing her eyebrows as her eyes gleam with determination. She’d rather be single forever than look for somebody else, because Valen’s the one for her. “....I don’t care how harsh he was to me. I will never turn my back on a person that I care about. I love Valen with all my heart, and he desperately needs me. We will reconcile, because I won't rest until we do.”

* * *

Valen’s been lying in bed since Rosa ran out of his front yard, as he hasn’t been able to do anything else “I love her...I love her a lot, and yet I made her cry. Sorry Rosa, I'm a fucking idiot,” Valen chastises himself, shedding a few tears, “I need to apologize to her....I went on a tirade without thinking, and I hurt her. In hindsight, I realize that she meant the words she spoke when she was trying to calm me down.”

Valen’s mind is racing with thoughts, desperately attempting to figure out this mess. “What really bugs me is that she didn’t trust me enough to tell me the truth. What's so bad that she has to keep it a secret from me?” Valen ponders. “Something doesn’t feel right about this. I need to go find her and figure this shit out, assuming she forgives me. First I vanish from her life, and then I do this. I’m pathetic....I’m a pathetic excuse of a boyfriend. Seriously, she doesn't hate me?”

Valen really wants to call Rosa and apologize to her. “I have to fix this somehow.” However, before he can even attempt to reach for his cell phone. Valen’s eyes widen in horror. There have been multiple cases of girls who were wooed, then emotionally abused and manipulated into joining Team Rocket by a high-ranking member. The reason why this came to Valen’s mind terrifies him so much that he’s breathing rapidly; Rosa's personality is an almost exact match to the type of girl that this Team Rocket member victimizes. “An older agent once said that intel placed him in Rosa’s hometown years ago! If my math is correct, Rosa would've been about seventeen or eighteen! All of his victims were between fifteen and nineteen years of age when he deceived and tormented them!”

Valen gets off of his bed, immediately rushing towards his walk-in closest. "I don't give a shit if I'm reaching, because I'm not taking any chances when it comes to her safety!" Valen rapidly opens the wooden door and retrieves the Poké Ball containing his Salamence. Then, Valen goes deeper into the closet and grabs his assault rifle. "That bastard loves to take sweet girls like Rosa and emotionally break them!" Valen loads up the rifle’s magazine with ammo and attaches it to the bottom of the rifle. “I'll blow his fucking brains out if he doesn’t leave Rosa alone!"

* * *

Rosa is walking down an empty sidewalk, passing lots of businesses that have closed for the night as several street lights flicker on and off, and the fact that there isn’t a single other person on the sidewalk, nor a single vehicle on the road, makes Rosa even more uncomfortable than she already feels. Rosa thinks that she doesn’t have a choice, because she needs to see the one person she knows who might know what to do when armed gangsters are trailing your every move. Despite the argument they had, Rosa feels that the only place that she can be safe is Valen’s house Thus, Rosa hopes to make up with Valen, and come clean about what’s really going on. “Valen, I refuse to leave your side. You have my word.” Tears still stream down Rosa’s face; She’s still heartbroken about what happened, but she’s very determined to fix it. Unfortunately, the person who’s really behind all of this has spotted her, and is looking to torment her even more for his own twisted amusement.

“Hello again, Rosa,” Lars calmly calls out to Rosa, causing Rosa to stop in fear upon hearing his low-pitched, gruff voice. Rosa slowly turns to left, trembling as she ends up making eye contact with the green eyes of the sociopath that’s glaring at her with sinister smirk, leaning up against a rusty gray dumpster within an alleyway. “Why not hide from the police in this dumpster behind me? After all, it’s an accurate representation of what you’re worth now.”

"Fuck you!" Rosa snarls, choosing to look at Lars’ black trench coat to avoid any further eye contact. “It’s your fault, you bastard! It’s all your fault!” Rosa’s tone emits a mix of sorrow, anger, and fear.

“Such blame is unwarranted, Rosa,” Lars taunts with a wide grin, closing his eyes as he strokes the back of his elbow length, spiked red hair. Then, Lars walks closer to Rosa, causing her to be even more frightened. Rosa backs up a few feet while shivering immensely. Lars re-open his eyes and narrows his eyebrows downwards, enjoying the level of fear Rosa's showing as he looks her directly in her eyes, his malevolent stare piercing through Rosa’s mind and soul. “It’s your fault that you’re so gullible, not mine. Behind that sweet, innocent smile lies the true side of you. One day, everybody going to know who you really are, and you’ll be all alone, like you always deserved to be after you left us.” Lars moves his mouth closer to Rosa’s right year, sadistically whispering, “Right now, you’re worth nothing, Rosa. You’re worth absolutely nothing. You might as well come on back to Team Rocket.”

Rosa attempts to compose herself as she shivers even more, but continues to cry in both sadness and fear of her tormentor. “Battle me, you lunatic! Battle me so I can make you pay!”

“Awww, Rosa wants to be the hero now?” Lars sneers, delighted by the torment he’s causing Rosa. “You’re a vile bitch who chose to join us of your own free will.” Lars begins to laugh maniacally, closing his eyes and placing his right hand over his face. “All I did was that I made you think I was the valiant hero fighting Team Plasma, and your stupid self believed every words of it!!”

“Y-You’re an absolute monster, but that’s nothing new....now my life's ruined because of you!” A shaken Rosa seethes with anger and hatred. If Rosa could muster up the courage to call out a Pokémon, she'd have called out her Hydreigon and Aerodactyl. If Rosa had a weapon on her, she might have pulled it out by now. Rosa's never had a stronger desire to hurt someone before, but she doesn't want to give into rage and do something reckless.

“Rosa, you ruined your own life. You’re just as horrible as the rest of us in Team Rocket," Lars cackles. "Instead of lying to everybody, why don’t you come on back where you belong?” Lars’s grin becomes more maniacal.

Even though she’s still afraid, crying out of both sadness and fear, Rosa musters up some courage up at Lars. Rosa’s eyebrows are angled downwards as she glares at Lars with anger. “N-No, I’m nothing like you, or anybody else in Team Rocket! I can’t believe I ever saw anything good in someone like you! You manipulated me into joining Team Rocket!”

“Just admit it.” Lars glares at Rosa once more, further lowering his tone. “It was you who wanted to join Team Rocket because you wanted to be a rebellious teenager. Deep down, you know that you’re a liar who fakes her purity and innocence to her criminal past. Once your secret is out, you’ll deserve all the hate you get! I did the entire world a favor when I showed your true colors after ripping the farce called pure innocence to shreds, and all you had to do was to never join Team Rocket, and I never would have the opportunity to do so. So, who’s really at fault, me or you?”

“Shut up, you lunatic!” The stream of tears flowing down Rosa’s face continues to increase at a rapid pace. "You ruined my life!"

“Rosa, you’re still exactly like the members of Team Rocket," Lars taunts. "Otherwise, you wouldn’t be running from the police, would you now?”

“It’s you that I’m running from!” Rosa screams at the top of her lungs. 

“If that’s the case, why won’t you go to the police?” Lars taunts.

"Shut up, Lars!” Rosa barks. "You caused all this, you worthless excuse of a human being!"

“Oh, and are you seeing someone? Who’s this Valen you mentioned?” Lars taps his chin with his left index finger. "You must have broken his heart, which further proves your true colors are pure evil, just like mine.”

“It’s your fault I had to hurt him!” Rosa covers her mouth with her right hand. She's just realized that she gave Lars a new way to torment her.

Lars's evil grin grows wider, having instantly picked up on what Rosa said. “You didn’t have to hurt him. You hurt him because you have more in common with me than you’ll ever admit to yourself, or to anybody else. You’re an evil bitch, Rosa.”

“Keep him out of this, you psycho!” Rosa screams at the top of her lungs! “Keep him out of this! Don’t you dare bring him into this, you asshole!”

“In fact, what would happen if you broke his heart to the point where it kills him?” Lars’s grin becomes the widest and most vile it has been so far. “It would be your fault. It would be all your fault, and you’d be hunted down like the vile person you truly are. What about his Pokémon, his family, and his friends? They’d all despise you, and they should already despise you for hurting him. Just admit that you’re evil already, so the world can see you for the heartless monster that you really are, you dirty lying criminal.”

"I said leave him out of it!” Rosa screams. "Drop dead from a gangland killing already, you fucking piece of shit!"

“Oh, and what if he never actually loved you? Why would he see anything in a dirty criminal like you, ex-Team Rocket member Rosa? Hahahahahaha!”

“Somebody....help....Somebody help me! SOMEBODY HELP ME!” Rosa is completely immobilized by fear as Lars taunts her with an even wider, maniacal grin as he mocks Rosa with a laugh. "Valen, I need you!" Rosa continues to cry out of sadness and terror. She’s so terrified that she’s can’t even call out of any Pokémon.

“Get the fuck away from her!” Valen arrives on the scene atop his Salamence, who lets out a bloodthirsty roar as both trainer and Pokémon seethe with anger and hatred. Valen and Salamence have been searching for Rosa for almost twenty minutes in a desperate attempt to save her. Much to Valen’s horror and rage, he was right about Lars Wagner being the one behind all of this.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bet you weren't expecting Valen to go off like that, were you? That gets explained down the line. He's had it rough, really rough.
> 
> What's your take on Rosa in this chapter? The goal here was to convey that she means well, but misjudged how the situation would turn out. Likewise, Valen realizes that he went too far at the end of this chapter. He doesn't handle this type of thing well.
> 
> Yes, Hydreigon can actually be taught Hydro Pump in Sword & Shield. I saw it while looking up the moves it can learn when writing the battle. 
> 
> Got any thoughts on this chapter? Are you Team Rosa or Team Leaf? Do you like Valen’s new nickname?
> 
> Revisions include cuts, extended dialogue, dialogue/text alterations, and added details.


	13. I’ll Always Love You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As with the previous chapter, mental abuse and manipulation are present in this chapter. Violence is also present in this chapter.

Valen and his Salamence have shown up to assist Rosa in dealing with Lars, an emotionally abusive sociopath from her past who's tormenting her once again. “Valen!” Rosa’s eyes widen in shock that Valen showed up, but she’s also relieved that he’s here.

Lars evilly chuckles to himself Valen jumps off his Salamence. “Awwwww, how very touching,” Lars taunts as he attempts to take out a Poké Ball. However, Valen's Salamence lunges forward and viciously slashes Lars’ left arm with his right claw, almost leaving a deep would. Salamence readies himself to strike again, emitting a low pitched snarl as Lars’ blood drips from his right claw, and Salamence even licks the blood off of of his right claws. Rosa’s shaken by this, because she’s never seen the dragon with such a thirst for someone’s blood.

“Heh heh heh, I’m mostly numb to all types of pain. I feel almost-” Lars is interrupted the sound of Valen cocking his assault rifle that he hid under his black, leather jacket. Valen holds the rifle at shoulder level, pointing it at Lars’s face with rage so intense that even Rosa shivers in fear, even though Valen’s here to help her. Rosa's never seen Valen act like this before, and she has never seen him wielding a weapon, let alone a military rifle.

“You think I won’t do it? You think I won’t squeeze the trigger? You think I won't blow your fucking brains out for what you did to Rosa, you worthless piece of shit?!” Valen clenches his teeth as he seethes in anger and hatred, ready to pull the trigger at any moment. At the same time, Salamence's got his teeth aimed at Lars’s throat, snarling with intent to kill and having to hold himself back from lunging for this human’s throat. A trembling Rosa backs up, horrified by both Valen and Salamence's intense desire to kill, even if the person they’re threatening is her emotional tormentor.

“You’ve angered a guy who’s responsible for numerous assassinations,” Valen growls. “Don’t test your luck with me, because I’ve never had any remorse.”

Rosa has a hard time looking directly at Valen, as the true extent of Valen's suffering and coldness weighs down on the somber girl like a ton of bricks. Rosa’s realized that Valen’s a remorseless assassin, but she’s still struggling to comprehend it. “N-No...y-you're so kind and sweet to me...how can you be a merciless killing machine?! H-How could this...how did....just what happened to you, Valen?”

“I only exterminate those who hurt innocent people, and Lars more than fits the bill,” Valen calmly explains. “If he doesn't leave you alone, I'll kill him without a second thought.”

Lars lets out a sinister chuckle— he’s already realized that he can further torment Rosa by trying to turn Valen against her. “Valen, this vile girl confessed to hurting you, and deep down, she has no remorse for it,” Lars tells Valen, the former sporting a lopsided smile that emits an eerie feeling. “Why do you love such a vile girl? Why not find someone who won’t hurt you?”

“Liar!” Rosa screams. “He knows that-”

“You're the bitch, Lars,” Valen retorts, his voice emitting an eerily low tone. “Come on, you pussy. Try tormenting me, I fucking dare you.” Valen looks into the scope of his rifle. “I don't care what your rank in Team Rocket is. Send fifty of your goons after, and I'll leave you with fifty bullet riddled bodies.”

“All I'm saying is that deserve better than this pile of shit.” Lars cackles. “Throw this bitch in the dumpster like the trash that she is.”

“Shut your fucking mouth,” Valen barks, having to hold himself back from squeezing the trigger. “Shut your fucking mouth and get the fuck out of here.”

Rosa continues to shed a stream of tears as she seethes with anger and hatred, forming fists with both hands. Rosa hates that she’s powerless in this situation, but she's opting to let Valen handle it. However, she's extremely shaken that her beloved has such a dark, violent side to him. “He's so cold...I've never seen him this cold before,” Rosa murmurs, feeling a heaviness in her stomach. “Is this the price of war? Is this the effect that war can have on any person, even somebody as kind and sweet as Valen?”

“If you aren’t far away from Rosa within the next twenty seconds, you’re a dead man.” Valen switches his rifle to full auto, still having to hold himself back from pulling the trigger. “I’ll open fire on fully automatic just to riddle you with bullet holes.”

Believing that further escalation with both a vicious Salamence and and a trained assassin with serious firepower would draw unwanted attention, as well as still needing to to treat his wounded left arm, Lars choose to retreat for the time being and starts to walk away. “I’ll let you off easy this time, because you’re a fool that needs to see the truth. This girl is nothing more than a vile bitch who uses her innocent to manipulate others. One day, you'll be regretting what you did for her tonight.” Lars manically laughs, placing his hand over his arm as blood seeps from the wound and gets soaked up by his trench coat. Salamence almost lunges again, but he backs off—the dragon's decided that his trainer should be the one to inflict another wound or two. Also, Salamence’s remembered that both of them were threatening to kill him solely to protect Rosa.

An eerie silence comes over the area as Valen switches his rifle back to semi-automatic. “Get behind me and cover your ears, because he needs one final warning to stay away from you,” Valen whispers to Rosa. “This M4 Carbine will make sure he knows that I’m serious.” Rosa covers her ears, but her confusion turns into horror when she fixates on Valen’s facial expression. A trembling Rosa backs up about twelve feet behind him; she’s realized what Valen's going to do. With the icy glare of a remorseless, battle-hardened warrior, Valen looks into the rifle’s scope. The defeating sound of two gunshots halts the quiet atmosphere under the early night sky, with both rounds striking Lars’ already wounded left arm. As Lars grunt in pain, Valen squeezes the trigger two more times, firing two more shots into Lars’ right arm. Lars grunts in pain again, seething with anger as he walks away to treat his wounds. “In hindsight, I don’t have time for this crap,” Lars growls. “Let Rosa be a sniveling little bitch if she wants. Let Valen be a fool. I have a bigger goal in mind.”

Valen turns his attention to Rosa, as does his Salamence. “Hey, you alright? I was very worried about you.”

A trembling Rosa had closed her eyes and pressed her hands against her ears. Slowly, Rosa opens her eyes and lifts her hands off of her ears. Rosa walks closer to Valen, saying, “Y-Yeah, t-thanks...even after that argument, you still...made sure that I was safe.” Rosa’s distraught that Valen shot someone four times right in front of her eyes and couldn’t care less about it, even if the person he shot is her tormentor. However, Rosa’s able to calm herself down, understanding that Valen just wanted to keep her safe. “...I didn’t know you owned a rifle, but it makes sense since you were in the military.”

“I only brought it out because I feared for your safety,” Valen tells Rosa. “I only heard a little bit, but it was enough to make me understand why you felt like you needed to lie to me. That guy’s despicable.”

Rosa’s eyes are fixated at the large, black rifle, shaken by the revelation that the guy she loves is packing such serious firepower. As morbid of a thought it is, Rosa can’t help but wonder how many times Valen’s opened fire. Valen’s words and complete lack of hesitation leads Rosa to believe that he’s done this many times before. However, she doesn’t feel like she’s in danger, so she pulls herself together to ask about the rifle. “W-What’s fully automatic?”

“Fully automatic means holding down the trigger to fire off rounds rapidly and repeatedly until I’m out of rounds. Semi-automatic is what I just used on your emotional tormentor four times.”

“...What about the rifle itself? How many guns do you own?”

“This is one of eight guns that I own, but this rifle’s similar to what I had in special forces,” Valen says as he removes the rifle’s magazine. Valen places his rifle back inside his jacket, and places the magazine and next to his rifle. Then, Valen and Salamence glance at each other. “My Pokémon and I don’t want to kill, but we’ll do we have to do to protect everybody that we care about without a second thought.”

“...It’s scary to see you with such a dangerous weapon, but I...I can understand why Salamence and you were so enraged at him, to the point of itching to kill him. It’s just...you're so sweet and kind...seeing you acting this cold and ruthless is heartbreaking.”

“I get no joy out of this, but when dealing with someone like Lars, drastic measures had to be be taken.” Valen sighs. “I’m sorry that you had to see this side of me.”

“I understand, Valen," Rosa answers. "You did what you had to do to protect me.”

“By the way, are you actually ex-Team Rocket?" Valen asks, raising his eyebrows.

“...Y-Yeah...s-sorry,” Rosa replies, biting her lower lip.

“....I trust you, so I'm gonna tell you something about me.”

“...W-What w-would that be?”

“Police.” Valen shows Rosa his badge. “Codename: Specter. Supervisory Lieutenant Agent with the International Police.” Rosa’s stunned, but she feels safer knowing that it’s Valen. “Working for Dimitri’s a genuine job, but it’s also a part of my cover. With that said, my current status is complicated. I’ll explain more in due time."

Rosa nods, pleased that Valen's slowly beginning to trust her more. “Hey, I was also followed by these scary looking men. I strongly suspect that they aren’t cops, but can you confirm that they aren’t?”

Valen’s eyes widen, gasping in horror. Valen had no idea Rosa's been followed. Rosa’s mouth falls open and Salamence stares with concern, both alarmed that Valen’s this shaken.

“If they weren’t cops, then who would follow me?” Rosa asks, having noticed that Valen's having trouble with replying to her first question.

Valen’s able to pull himself back together, replying, “That’s a good question, and there’s one part of Lars that you may not be aware of that might have the answer.” As Rosa begins to tremble again, Valen feels a tight knot in his stomach. He feels awful for putting Rosa through this, but he’s got to know what’s going on here. “Rosa, has Lars told you that you were running from the police instead of him, and that it was your fault?"

“T-That’s exactly what he’s been telling me!” Rosa exclaims, her eyes widening. “He told me that years ago, and he told me that recently! H-How’d you know?!”

“Lars Wagner's the current underboss of this region’s branch of Team Rocket, and he's got a history of wooing, then emotionally abusing and manipulating girls. You’re one of at least twelve girls who’ve been victimized by that bastard,” Valen explains. “However, he’s also a hardened gangster. We’ve never been able to pin him on anything, so I used an alternative method to get him to back off.”

“I....I ran, I ran away like a coward....I even hurt you years later!” Rosa shouts, sniffling as she seethes with anger. “It was never the police I was worried about! I did nothing wrong except making the stupid mistake of joining Team Rocket, and that monster knows it!”

 _“Lars is equally as vile as the people that I've taken out.”_ Valen scowls.

“Hey, it sounds like you believe me. Am I right?” Rosa's question snaps Valen out of his train of thought.

“Yeah, I believe you, just like I always have," Valen replies.

"T-Thanks....Valen." Rosa watches Valen take out his cell phone. "Who're you calling?"

"My superior, who's got the rank of Chief Superintendent Agent, the second highest rank within an International Police division. My rank's only the second one within the International Police's ranking system, which consists of seven official ranks." Valen dials a number, and after a few rings, somebody answers the phone.

“Anabel, there’s something big that you need to know about Rosa."

“I can’t say I was expecting a phone call from you, considering your situation," Anabel says, her voice emitting a hint of surprise. "I can't say I expected a call about Rosa either."

“Well, I had to call under these circumstances." Valen grimaces.

“Did you learn something?” Anabel asks.

“Rosa’s a victim of abuse and manipulation,” Valen tells Anabel. “You wanna take a guess at who’s the asshole behind this?”

“....If you’re calling me directly, then it's got to be Lars....we still can’t pin him on anything that’ll stick," Anabel laments. "....Alright, understood. I'll....add Rosa's name and info to the file.”

“Furthermore, Rosa said she was being followed, but I never authorized anything like that, nor did anybody else. My guess that it's the Galarian Mafia, since they’re willing to intimidate anybody for the right price,” Valen states. “From what I’ve discovered while conducting research into organized crime, my assessment is that I can’t see any of the big players taking up such a task. I also don’t suspect any involvement from the newest players, the Alolan Mafia.”

“I believe that your assessment is accurate, and we both know that this isn’t the first time that one of his victims has been followed like this," Anabel replies. "I have it looked into effective immediately. Stay safe, Specter.”

“Thanks, Anabel." The phone call ends afterwards, and Valen puts his cell phone away.

Rosa bows her head and bites her lower lip. “I’m sorry that I lied to you," Rosa says, her eyes becoming moist. "That was wrong of me to do....I never meant to hurt you.”

Valen turns towards Rosa, stating, “Rosa, you’re more important to me to be angry over some stupid shit like that,” Valen tells Rosa, with Salamence faintly smiling at his trainer. “There’s no evil in your heart, or in your personality. He's the liar and criminal, not you. I won’t let him torment you ever again.”

Tears began streaming down Rosa’s face. “You did all this for me....you believed in me so much. I’m such an idiot...I should have just told you the truth from the start.”

“You’re a innocent victim of Team Rocket, and I hate the fact that someone as pure hearted as you is thinking of herself as being complicit in any way,” Valen softly says, patting Rosa on the head. “Please don’t group yourself with those scumbags, alright?”

Rosa nods, her stream of tears turning into a flood that surges down her face. “This is....the sweetest thing anyone’s ever done for me....thank you.”

“No, thank you for making me feel genuine happiness again, and for making me realize that life isn’t about being gloomy and serious all the time,” Valen tells Rosa, feeling an overwhelming sense of gratitude. “You know you can rely on me for anything you need.”

“V-Valen, you’re too much....I don’t deserve you-”

“Come here, gimme a hug,” Valen tells Rosa, sporting an affectionate smile.

Rosa begins sobbing loudly as more tears flood down her face. Rosa immediately runs to embrace Valen, placing her arms around his neck. Valen embraces Rosa back by placing his right hand on her back and his left hand on the back of her head. “Thank you! Thank you, Valen! I love you so much! I couldn’t have asked for a sweeter guy than you! I can never repay you enough for everything you’ve done for me! You saved me! You saved me, Valen!” As the two embrace each other, Valen realizes that Salamence had kept his head bowed down with his eyes closed. The dragon’s smiling proudly over his trainer’s determination to keep Rosa smiling.

“Listen, I...I regret being so harsh towards you.” Valen sheds a stream of tears. “I let anger and pain get the better of me, so I spoke without thinking beforehand. I’m sorry for the hurtful things that I said to you....I hope you can forgive me.”

“Hey sweetie, please don’t cry,” Rosa softly says with an affectionate smile. “I’ve already forgiven you. I only lied because I was afraid for your safety, and I wanted you to be happy. I can’t be happy if you aren’t happy, because I hate seeing you cry.”

“Why....why would you base your happiness off of mine?” Valen somberly asks. “I'm the last person anyone should base their happiness off of...I'm a miserable and gloomy person who's serious most of the time.”

“Nothing breaks my heart more than seeing you suffer so much,” Rosa softly replies. “Earlier, I was more hurt by the fact you were deeply hurt than by anything hurtful that you said to me. The worst feeling came when you talked about suicide. I could have lost you forever, but I’m so grateful that I didn’t lose you.”

“Sorry that you had to hear-“

“I’m sure you already figured this out, but one reason why I chose to live abroad is so that I could be with you,” Rosa gently cuts Valen off. “You’ll always mean the world to me. Even if you don’t say the same thing to me, your actions prove that you feel the same way about me. No matter what, I’m always going to be by your side from now on. Please don’t cry anymore, kay sweetie?”

“...This makes no sense," Valen remarks, sporting a sad smile. "I was so harsh towards you, and you saw the darkest side of me...yet here you are. Do you seriously still want to be with me, even after everything that you've seen?”

“Nobody can be a perfect person, but it doesn’t mean that two people can’t love each other," Rosa counters, her eyes gleaming with the genuine love she has for Valen. "I don’t want to be with anybody else. You’re the one I want to be with, Valen.”

“...Thanks, that means a lot to me," Valen gently replies. "I’ll tell you everything one day, so ask whenever you’re ready.”

“I will, and you don’t have to tell me anything if you aren’t ready, or if you’re not comfortable.”

"Alright...thanks."

“Thanks for helping me out,” Rosa repeatedly kisses Valen on the laps, who slightly blushes as a result. “No matter how much fun it’s for me to get you flustered, and no matter how much trouble is hurled our way, you know that I’ll always care for you, and that I’ll always love you.”

“Right back at you, Rosa.” The two of them let go of each other, with Valen now having something else on his mind. "Hey, what happened to that singing career you wanted?" Valen asks, raising his eyebrows. “You also wanted to make a name for yourself as a trainer abroad.”

Rosa bows her head, sporting a sad smile. "Between the day I unpacked and the day you met Leaf, I explored the city," Rosa explains. "I battled a lot, plus I even did some performances. That was fun....that was really fun....but then things took a turn for the worst."

"It's my fault," Valen laments, closing his eyes as tears stream down his cheeks. "I'm so pathetic that I took your dreams away. I'm such a horrible boyfriend-"

"No!" Rosa screams at the top of her lungs, shedding tears of her own.

Valen jerks his head backwards, re-opening his eyes as they widen. "R-Rosa....it's true-"

"Yes, I want to make myself more well know as a trainer in this region! Yes, I do want to be a famous singer!" Rosa's stream of tears turn into an overflowing river. "However, there's only one Valen in my life, and he was considering suicide! What's the point of my dreams if I end up losing you forever, Valen?!”

“You’ve had that singing dream for-“

“Don’t you dare tell me that you took away my dreams!” Rosa interjects, sobbing loudly. “How can I focus on my dreams when you’re in so much pain?!”

"....What are you saying?"

Rosa takes a deep breath to calm herself down. Rosa wipes away her tears, giving Valen a sad smile. "There's something more important that I have to do first," Rosa informs.

"W-Wait, don't give up on-"

"I'm not," Rosa reassures. "However, those dreams will have to wait. I need to help out a person who’s very special to me.”

"You're actually...putting your dreams on hold for a nobody like me?" Valen asks, raising his eyebrows.

"You're not a nobody to me," Rosa softly replies, sporting a tender smile. "You mean the world to me."

"....Thank you, Rosa," Valen says, sporting an affectionate smile as he wipes away his tears. "I'll support you in everything you do." The duo climb atop of Salamence, who flaps his wings and begins to fly the two back to Valen’s house. “Come on, you probably needs some rest. I’ll let you stay with me until you’re ready to go back to your place.”

“Thanks, but we both could use some rest.” Rosa embraces Valen from behind as Salamence flies, with her arms wrapped around Valen’s abdomen and the right side of her head is leaning up against the back of Valen’s head. “I’m gonna use you as my pillow for now, kay sweetie?”

“Few things can ever keep your adorable self down for long, can it?”

“Yep, even he can’t keep me down!”

“I always loved how quickly you reverted back to your old self.” Before he can say anything else, Valen lets out a deep yawn.

“O-Oh no, you really do need rest!” Rosa yelps. “P-Please get some rest, sweetie!”

“Yeah, I probably should,” Valen admits, with Salamence smirking in amusement.

* * *

Valen carried Rosa up to an unused bedroom in his house so she can finally get some rest, as she had fallen asleep on the way back to his house. Valen's currently in his room, as he needed to talk to Melanie about what happened.

Melanie’s been told about what happened with Rosa, and she's disgusted. “That's low, that's really low!” Melanie’s voice emits extreme anger. “Messing with a sweet girl like Rosa! What a vile bastard!”

"It's outta my hands now," Valen confesses, lamenting that he can't be the one who'll eventually bring Lars down.

"...In any case, I'm glad that the two of you are okay," Melanie replies.

“Thanks, Melanie.” Valen faintly smiles.

“I’ll come check on you two tomorrow,” Melanie informs.

“Alright, I'll see you then.” After the call ends, Valen lies down on his bed, yawning but unable to sleep. "She forgave me....Rosa actually....Rosa actually forgave me," Valen murmurs to himself, feeling a strong tightness in his chest. "She's still here...She didn't abandon me."

Valen’s emotional state can’t be bottled up anymore. After all that's happened, from disappearing from her life to revealing his darkest secret, Valen's deeply moved that Rosa still loved him this entire time. Valen clenches his teeth, closing his eyes as tears begin to stream down his face like an overflowing river. “Rosa actually forgave me! Not only that, but she didn't abandon me!” Valen sobs loudly. “I need to change the way that I act towards her so she actually gets to be with the Valen that she deserves! I’m sorry that I ever doubted you! I need you in my life too! I love you, Rosa! I've always loved you, even when we were apart. I really mean it!"

Unbeknownst to Valen, his sobbing has accidentally woken Rosa up, who listens to him from outside his door with her arms folded. Rosa has her eyes closed and a wide affectionate smile is plastered across her face, murmuring, “You idiot, I already told you that I'll always love you, so why are you the one crying that I forgave you? We can be happy, we can have fun, and we can get each other flustered, because our love for each other is strong, stronger than anything a lunatic like Lars can throw our way. That’s what you taught me, so I’ll repay the favor by teaching you that you don’t have to be perfect for me to love you. Goodnight Valen, I love you too.” Rosa walks back towards the bedroom she’s sleeping in, shedding tears of joy over the fact that Valen and her managed to make up.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Valen being Interpol and Rosa being ex-Team Rocket is kinda inspired by the B2/W2 chapter of Adventures, but it’s also a heavily reworked idea of a scrapped concept that was much darker and directly influenced from the manga. That concept involved Rosa being an ex-Team Rocket fugitive that Valen had been searching for, but didn't realize that it was Rosa this entire time.
> 
> What did you think of this darker side to both Valen and Rosa's past? What do you think of Lars? Since organized crime isn't a big plot point anymore, Lars won't appear much here, but he would appear more in the future spin-off that's themed around organized crime. I don't foresee him being defeated anytime soon, maybe not even in this story. The main antagonist is not a person. You'll see more of what I mean within the next several chapters.
> 
> Revisions include cuts, extended dialogue, dialogue alterations, and added details.


	14. The Real Valen

After the nightmarish, rough day that the two of them had yesterday, Rosa and Valen have made up. Both are happy that they were able to do so, because beyond all the silliness and antics, the love they have for each other is genuine. Rosa moved Valen so much that he’s got a very special surprise for her today. It’s one that Valen feels that she’s one hundred percent earned.

Valen hears Rosa opening his door, remarking, “Oh, I didn’t realize that you were awake. Sup, Rosa?” Valen sports a mischievous smile; He’s been aware this entire time, and he’s eagerly waiting to see Rosa’s reaction.

“Y-You’ve got to be kidding me!” Rosa’s eyes widen and her mouth gapes wide open. On the round, carved walnut table located northeast of Valen’s bed, she sees a tray holding a plate and a cup. Rosa realizes that Valen not only woke up earlier and ate breakfast, but he’s suddenly too lazy to get out of bed again and go downstairs to put the tray, plate, and cup back in the kitchen. However, Rosa’s attention is drawn towards the interesting lamp on the table. “This is a cool lamp.” Rosa really likes how the large shade on the top looks like a painting, plasters with lush imagery of pine trees, mountains, and a pagoda. Rosa glances downwards at the lamp’s bronzed metal base. Valen may not feel like going downstairs, but Rosa notes that he made sure the tray and its contents were kept as far away from the lamp as possible.

“Fully restored Handel lamp that was originally shipped to and sold in the Johto region,” Valen informs Rosa, smirking at how enamored she’s become with the lamp. Valen’s currently reading a book on the Kalos Empire that reigned supreme about three hundred to four hundred years ago. Next to him is a book on the infamous Pokémon battle and gunfight at the Orre Corral, located in Tombstone Town. Rosa didn’t even know Valen was still an avid reader. Then, Rosa notices that near the lamp and table, there’s a old display cabinet that contains Pokémon sculptures and other similar items, but she decides to ask about them at a later date. However, Rosa faintly smiles over the fact that Valen’s got sculptures of each of his Pokémon.

“Rosa, look here,” Valen says to draw her attention. Valen uses his left index finger to tell Rosa to come closer, which she does, albeit she’s a bit perplexed. Unbeknownst to Rosa, Valen’s about to make her day, or perhaps even her week, and that’s another reason why he’s been waiting for her in his room. Valen felt a little mischievous and little lazy, but he knew Rosa would come to check up on him.

With Rosa right next to his bed, Valen makes her blush by holding her right hand with his left hand, giving her the widest, affectionate smile he has given her since she arrived in the Calvana region, which gives her a warm, fuzzy feeling. Rosa eyes widen as she flashes back to four years ago, as Valen had the exact same smile the day he approached her. Valen hasn’t grasped her hand so affectionately and/or romantically since she reunited with him in person.

Valen continues to smile as he holds Rosa’s hand, asking, “Do I even need to say it?”

Rosa blushes even more, becoming very delighted and cheerful as she immediately realizes what Valen is talking about. “Yes, I won the ultimate battle! I won! I won! I won! I won! I won! Valen’s officially my boyfriend again!”

Valen puts his book down and places his left arm around Rosa’s waist, pulling her closer to embrace her. This gesture of affection, combined with officially being with Valen again, causes Rosa to cry out in elation. Rosa happily embraces Valen back, wrapping her arms around his neck. Rosa hasn’t felt this much warmth and affection flow through her body in a while.

Yesterday taught Valen a valuable lesson about how lucky he is to have a girl like Rosa in his life. That's one reason why his personal demons can never break them apart. No matter how hard his personal demons try, Valen knows that Rosa and him will always be able to make up.

Rosa’s learned the same lesson. Rosa has retained a belief the Valen she fell in love with four years is still very much present. has been buried deep down inside of him. That belief has been engraved in her mind, and nobody can change that.

Valen's got both affection and mischief on his mind. Valen feels that it’s time to bust out the method that helped him win Rosa's heart four years ago. “Behind this gorgeous queen is a badass king.” Valen gives Rosa a wink and clicks a tooth one time, making Rosa just as shy and nervous as Valen was after their tag battle. Much like how adorable Rosa is Valen’s biggest weakness, smooth talking Valen is Rosa’s biggest weakness, even if he’s not wearing the fancy clothes she wants him to wear.

Valen grins as Rosa blushes immensely, as she now realizes that Valen didn’t embrace her for the sole purpose of affection. “Rosa’s best girl, so let’s see if her Cute Charm can still work on The Black Reaper,” Valen teases. “My ability is Emergency Exit, so I’m not an easy catch.”

Rosa jumps up and down, as Valen has got her flustered already. “Oh noooooo, h-he’s t-turning the tables on meeeee!”

“You must have used Attract on me, cuz I’m immobilized by love.” Valen winks.

Rosa’s face reddens in embarrassment, closing her eyes as she continues to jump and down. “Nooooooo, this isn’t fair at all! This is super duper ultra mega effective against meeeee!”

“Damn girl, if you were writing in a book, you’d be the fine print.” Valen winks again.

“Noooooooo, I’m losing the flirting battle to Valen! He’s sweeping me off my feet like how his Salamence swept three of my Pokémon in our first battle! How did I even forget about the ability Moxie?!”

“You’ll need a Master Ball, cuz your boy’s the hardest catch.” Valen chuckles to himself as he reminisces about what happened after he made his move on Rosa. He ran into Rosa after she had literally traveled halfway across Unova just to find him.

“Nooooooooo, I c-caught you a-already!” 

“You must be a Moltres, because you're a legendary catch that's hot all over.” 

”H-Have mercy, Valen!" 

”Today’s forecast said it was hot, but they weren’t talking about the weather."

Rosa’s flustered demeanor turns into her fangirl demeanor, her eyes beginning to sparkle. “I surrender! I surrender, Lieutenant! I surrender! Kyaaaaaaa! I love you too much! I can’t take it! I want to squeeze you with another hug!”

“Arceus must have sent you from the sky, because you’re a goddess in my eyes.” Valen winks.

Rosa gets even more excited, because the line Valen just said is the exact same like he used when he first approached her, acting all cool and mysterious as he sat next to her outside of the café. “I can’t take this! I love this side of you way too much! I love you way too much! Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaa!”

“Maybe I’ll go change into a suit, just because you’re so cute!” Once again, Valen winks and clicks a tooth one time.

“You’ll look so cool and dashing in a suit!" Rosa gushes "Please wear one for meeee!"

“I’m still the king of smooth talk, baby,” Valen proudly proclaims. “You were mine before you even knew it, because I’m a smooth talking badass.”

Rosa giggles at Valen’s cocky remark. Then, Rosa begins to sing. “You’ve been such a good friend! I’ve loved you since the week we met! We’ve got lots of friends who won’t come and gooooo!”

Valen stares at the ceiling again, still sporting a smile. “Yep, you’re definitely back to normal if you're singing again.”

“Even though we never said it, there’s something that the two of us both knooow!” Rosa gives Valen a kiss on the lips. “Together forever, noooo matter how loooong! From now until the end of timeeee! We’ll be together, and you can be sureeee! That forever and a daaay, that’s how long we’ll staaaay! Together and forever moreeee!”

“That’s fine with me, because that means you’ll always be by my side,” Valen says.

“Yeeep, I’m always gonna be here for you!” Rosa proclaims.

“Likewise, Rosa,” Valen replies.

“Tee-hee, we’ll be besties forever, my sweetie!” Rosa exclaims.

"So, when's your first hit single dropping?" Valen teases.

"Tee-hee, big boy will be the first to hear it!" Rosa teases back.

“You better continue to follow your dreams, or I’m gonna be very angry,” Valen playfully states.

”Oooooh, whatcha gonna do if I choose you, instead, big boooy?” Rosa's eyelashes flutter as she gives Valen a flirtatious smile.

Both Valen and Rosa laugh as they let go of each other. Then, Rosa turns her attention to Valen’s old bookshelf and darts to it, filled with her usual enthusiasm. Valen’s still smiling as he glances to his left, watching Rosa examine his bookshelf.

“Let’s see what books you have...W-Woah, it’s a Pokémon battling book!" Rosa exclaims. "The Art of Battling by Sūn Lí! It’s a newer print of a work that was...first written in the 5th century BCE?! Tee-hee, that’s so old and cool!”

“That’s a well known work written by a famous philosopher of the ancient world," Valen explains. "He was one of the earliest known examples of a Pokémon Trainer as we know em today.”

"Your bookshelf's old and cool too!" Rosa continues to examine the books Valen has within the Gothic style bookshelf, excitingly eyeing each book and noting the variation in size and thickness among them. “Oooh, this one’s on Mew and Celebi sightings throughout history, this one’s on Feudal Johto, and this one’s on the Calvana Gold Rush! This one’s on the Old West, and this one’s on the Galarian explorer Sir Francis Devon and his top secret journey! This one’s on Victorian Galar, and this one’s on the Kalos Enlightenment! I see books on the Galarian Renaissance, the Kalosian Renaissance! I see books on Calvana’s Georgian architecture, Calvana’s Victorian architecture, and Calvana’s Neoclassical architecture as well! Woooow, soooo many books! Tee-hee, my Valey's awesome!”

”Heh, this girl could liven up even the most boring of meetings,” Valen murmurs to himself.

“Oooh, this book’s on Kanto’s most infamous hoax; Mew was never under that allegedly haunted truck!” Then, Rosa notices a book that’s completely different from the others. “Huh, this one’s on how to look cool....you’re so cuteeeee! I wanna squeeze you cuz you’re soooo cuteeee!” Much to Rosa’s surprise, Valen doesn’t say anything about being called cute. In fact, he’s chortling loudly about it.

Valen notices Rosa staring at him in confusion, chortling loudly again. “I’m actually kinda okay with being called cute if you’re the one saying it.”

“Wow, that’s really big-“ Rosa cuts herself off before she falls for Valen’s favorite joke again. “Nooooo, please spare meeeee!” Rosa wails, noticing that Valen's sporting a devious grin.

“That’s really big, eh?” Valen snickers. “That’s what she said.”

Rosa’s jaw drops, as she’s in disbelief by the amount of verbal defeats she has been handed today. It’s not even noon yet. “Oh nooooo, you’re defeating me so effortlessly!”

“I’m Valen, that’s why,” Valen triumphantly laughs.

”This is a mismatch!” Rosa wails.

“By the way, you forgot something that I told you years ago,” Valen comments.

”Ooooooh, what did I forget?” Rosa giggles.

“I used to watch Pokémon battles all the time, because I was like you,” Valen reminisces while still grinning. “I thought battles were the most fun activity ever. I first saw you on television when you won the Unova Conference for the first time, and after watching you battle more, I kinda started to develop a little bit of a celebrity crush on you. You are well known in Unova, after all. However, you developed into my personal crush when I first met you.”

“Oh yeah, you did tell me that, but you never told me that you were The Black Reaper!” Rosa points out. Then, Rosa’s eyes begin to sparkle again, and she clasps her hands next to her left cheek. “This is soooo awesome, because it means were destined to be together! Kyaaaaaaa!”

“Your looks and personality made you the perfect blend of pretty and cute. That means you were exactly my type of girl. When your boy Valen sets his sights on what he wants the most, he tends to pursue it relentlessly.” Valen points at Rosa with his right index finger, winking as he clicks a tooth one time.

“Kyaaaaaaa, stop it! I want to tackle and kiss you so badly right nooooow!”

“Not even somebody as cool as The Black Reaper has the power to resist somebody as hot as Battle Queen Rosa.” Valen gives Rosa a wink, pointing his left index finger at her and clicking a tooth one time.

“Kyaaaaaaaaaaa! Stop it! Stop it already! I love you soooo much, Valen!" Rosa squeals. "I have the most badass and the sweetest boyfriend that I could ever ask for, and on top of all that, you were sooo cool and dashing as The Black Reaper!”

Valen gets off of his bed and onto his feet, and walks towards Rosa with a affectionate smile, saying, “Heh, it’s been a while since I’ve done this.” Then, much to Rosa’s surprise, Valen kisses her on the lips. A wide-eyed Rosa can’t believe this at first, as not once has Valen kissed her since she arrived in Calvana. Up until this point, it’s been vice versa. As Valen gently presses his lips against her own lips, Rosa gets the warmest, fuzziest feeling she has had in a while. Her happiest memories were with Valen, and those come flooding back to her, causing her to shed tears of joy. Valen tries to stop, but Rosa wraps her arms around her neck to embrace him and kisses him back. Valen doesn’t mind this at all, embracing Rosa by placing his left hand on Rosa’s back and his right hand on the back of Rosa’s head. Both of them feel at ease as they kiss at a relaxed place.

Since the curtains are rolled up and because the bedroom’s window faces the backyard, Valen's entire team of Pokémon are watching this scene. All six of them smiling out of happiness. Luxray will run away from being petted like a baby Shinx, Gengar loves to scare people, and Gardevoir will bite fingers if anyone besides Valen tries to pet/pat her. Antics and silliness aside, all of Valen's Pokémon enjoy having Rosa around. That, combined with the genuine happiness that their trainer's showing, means that seeing this sight makes them overjoyed.

As for Valen and Rosa, they eventually stop, but neither wants to let go of each other. Both Valen and Rosa are smiling out of affection. “Thank you for not abandoning me, even after I was so harsh and you. You even refused to leave me side once you learned my darkest secret. From the bottom of my heart, thank you," Valen tells Rosa, his voice emitting a loving, gentle tone. I love you, Rosa. I love you so much."

Rosa lets out a loud squeal, extremely ecstatic that Valen kissed her. “Tee-hee, I love you even more, Valen! I'll never leave you, kaaaay?”

Valen sports a warm grin, countering, “Ha, gimme a break! I had the crush first!”

Rosa giggles, but she won’t give up the most adorable argument that Valen’s house has ever seen. “I'm pretty sure that I had the crush on your past persona before you even knew who I was!"

“Whoopee cushion," Valen teases. "You know I still have the whoopee cushion, don't you?"

“Tee-hee, the power of my love for you can overcome even the whoopee cushion!” Rosa teases back.

“Oh, good point." Then, Valen's grin becomes more mischievous. "However, what if you have challengers?"

“Noooooooooo, I’m keeping all of you to myself!” Rosa wails. "Rosa will squish all of the puny challengers!"

“Muhahahahahaha, I'm Yami Valen, or Dark Valen. Whichever you prefer, because they mean the same thing! Muhahahahahaha, Yami Valen’s going to trade Rosa in, cuz he’s just that evil!” Valen has a fake yet convincing evil grin on his face. At least, it’s convincing to Rosa, as evident by her smile flipping upside down.

“Noooooooooooooo! I want my Valey to not be evil and to be with meeee! I’ll save yoooou, Valey!” Rosa wails, stomping her feet.

“Muhahahahahahaha! Bye bye!” Valen attempts to let go of Rosa, but he’s so convincing that a frowning Rosa holds him even tighter out of panic.

“Nooooooooooooooo! Don’t leave meeee!” Rosa moves her arms downwards, squeezing Valen's mid-section.

Valen blinks rapidly, having become flustered over how seriously Rosa’s taking this. “R-Rosa, I was just joking!”

“Nooooooooo, I can’t take any chances!” Rosa wails, hugging Valen as hard as she can.

“Let me go!” Valen shrieks as Rosa tightens her squeeze.

“Noooooooooooo!” Rosa cries out.

* * *

“Ooooh, this is a cool living room!” Rosa rapidly moves around Valen's living room in excitement, keenly studying everything she sees with gasps of amazement. Rosa’s mesmerized by the eerie black walls with pearly white, ornate floral patterns that contrasts it. Rosa furrows her eyebrows, having noticed Valen’s writing desk. The old desk looks really nice, but Rosa wonders why there's no cool pattern decorating it, considering the nearby old cupboards have cool patterns on them. Then, Rosa keenly eyes the snowy white carpet with a dark blue, ornate floral pattern that’s placed between a pair of large sofas. Rosa presses both of her hands on the snowy white, leather upholstery of both sofas. Rosa sports a beaming smile over how soft and cushiony they feel.

Then, Rosa sees Valen strolling into his living room, his hands placed in his pockets with his eyes closed. Rosa’s mouth curves into a sultry smile, as she has mischief and flirting on her mind. _“ Tee-hee, it’s time to have some more fun with Valen again. He’s soooo cute when he’s nervous or flustered!"_

With her hands clasped behind her back Rosa slowly approaches Valen. “Sooooo, my sweetie-“ Rosa cuts herself off, when she suddenly feels a ominous glare fixated at her, so she nervously turns around while sweating. Gardevoir’s sensed her plans to rile Valen up and used Teleport to appear behind Rosa. Gardevoir’s got her arms folded as she angrily grunts under her deep breaths. She fixates a threatening, wicked glare at Rosa, like she’s about to use Psychic to toss Rosa out of the nearest window.

“E-Eep!” Rosa places her palms up in front of her, shivering in fright while Valen blinks in bewilderment. Without hesitation, Gardevoir mischievously grins and bites one of Rosa’s fingers, snickering in the process. “Ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow, she bit my thumb!” Rosa jumps up and down as she holds her right thumb, while Gardevoir mocks Rosa by letting out a boisterous, triumphant laugh. This is also how she reacts if somebody who isn’t Valen tries to pet her or pat her.

A confident and satisfied Gardevoir walks up to Valen, who's still trying to figure out what just happened. “Not sure why you did that, but thanks I suppose,” Valen says with a smirk as he glances rightwards towards Gardevoir. Gardevoir glances back at her trainer with a borderline maniacal grin, folding her arms again.

It’s at this point where Gengar decides to materialize from to scare Rosa. Rosa sees Gengar is not only in front of her, but is so close to her that their faces almost touch. As Rosa starts to sweat nervously, the purplish ghost lets out a eerie shriek and a startled Rosa jumps back several feet. “EEEEEEYYYYAAAAA! B-Bad Gengar! D-Don’t scare me like that!”

As Valen, Gardevoir, and Gengar celebrate with victorious laughter, Luxray watches from the dining room, grinning when he sees his chance to turn the tables on Rosa. As Rosa still yelps over her thumb and yells at Gengar for scaring her, she hears Luxray hissing and running towards her. “Run away! Run away! Rosa used Agility!” Rosa runs to the front door and runs outside in a panic as the electric feline her down the front steps, through the pathway connecting the front steps to the cobblestone sidewalk, and on the sidewalk itself. As he chases a panicked Rosa leftwards of the house, Luxray’s triumphantly laughing over the fact that he successfully turned the tables on Rosa. However, Rosa won’t be defeated so easily. Rosa stops and turns around with a mischievous smile. “Come to me, you adorable little Luxy!” Rosa playfully exclaims as she slowly approaches Luxray, who nervously backs away a few feet. Luxray’s face reddens as he lets out a panicked cry, turning around and runs away from Rosa. “Tee-hee, kitty wants to play tag again!” Rosa exclaims as she chases Luxray, who’s still crying out in panic.

* * *

Valen has decided to show Rosa his backyard, and Rosa is very surprised by how large it is, and how Valen has set it up, from a picnic area for both people and Pokémon, to a large pool for Water-type Pokémon.

“W-Woah, this backyard is huge!” Rosa excitingly looks around at everything in the backyard. Rosa's also a little surprised at how well maintained the lush green grass and plants are; indicating that Valen isn’t super lazy all the time. Valen would definitely be doing it by himself.

Valen’s mouth curves into a devious grin, as he sees a chance to drop his favorite joke a second time on the same day. “Huge, huh?” Gengar and Gardevoir, who are next to Valen, snicker because they love Valen’s jokes the most.

“Yeah, it’s really huge!” Rosa realized what Valen was trying to do, and that she fell into his trap. “Wait, oh no, I-“

“That’s what she said.”

“Noooooooooo, Valen got me again!”

Valen’s feeling very triumphant, stating, “Hahahahahaha, I’ll never get tired of using my favorite joke on you!”

Rosa folds her arms and pouts, shouting, “Roar! Grrr! Hiss!”

“Anyway, I set up my backyard as a place where my Pokémon, or Pokémon belonging to people I know, can hang out and relax. Of course, the trainers can hang out and relax here too.”

“Can I call out my Pokémon?” Rosa asks, now sporting a warm smile.

“Go ahead," Valen replies, sporting a content smile.

“Yaaaay, you’re the best!" Rosa calls out her Pokémon two at a time. First, she calls out Serperior and Eelektross. Then, she calls out Hydreigon and Volcarona. Lastly, she calls out Aerodactyl and Milotic. Hydreigon and Milotic head towards Salamence, while Serperior and Eelektross head to Golisopod and Luxray respectively. Volcarona also heads to Luxray, and Aerodactyl heads to Typhlosion.

Valen notices that Rosa’s Milotic has wrapped her body around Salamence. Milotic’s got coy smile on her face, giving the indifferent dragon a wink. “Uh, Rosa, take look at your Milotic.” 

Rosa looks at her Milotic and jumps back several feet, surprised at what she’s seeing. “W-Woah, she’s making romantic advances towards your Salamence, and she’s letting out cries to flirt with him! I f-forgot about this side of hers!”

“Heh, look at how cool my boy is. He’s serious, calm and collected, despite Milotic flirtatiously wrapping her body around his.” Gardevoir and Gengar, whom are still standing next to their trainer, laugh as Milotic fails to get Salamence to look at her. An amused Valen takes a photo of it with his phone and sends it to Melanie via text, who responds back with laughing emojis and a picture of her Dragonite laughing over the photo, much to Valen’s delight.

Rosa’s very charmed by this sight, saying, “Tee-hee, I ship it! It’s us, but in Pokémon form!”

Valen raises his eyebrows when he notices that his dragon has other ideas. “Rosa, you might wanna look again.”

Rosa’s happiness turns into shock, her eyes widening when she sees how quickly the situation has changed. Unfortunately for Milotic, it’s not her whom the dragon wants to hangs out with. As a grinning Valen begins to record the scene with his phone, his Salamence focuses all of his attention to Rosa’s Hydreigon. Milotic becomes so jealous that she lets Salamence go just so she can use Ice Beam on Hydreigon, having to be held back by Rosa’s Serperior, Rosa’s Eelektross and Valen’s Golisopod before she can actually fire it off. Golisopod stands in front of both dragons as a shield, while a stunned Serperior and Eelektross wrap themselves around Milotic, wresting the enraged and jealous water serpent to the ground, while she squirms to try to break free from their grasp. By this point, Gengar and Gardevoir are roaring with laughter, but Rosa's very displeased with her Milotic’s behavior.

“Bad Milotic! Bad girl! Mommy mad! Roar! Grrr! Hiss!” Rosa scolds her Milotic like an angry mother scolding her child as she stomps towards her, while Salamence and Hydreigon laughs at Milotic for trying to interrupt their dragon bromance.

Typhlosion’s getting along well with Rosa’s Aerodactyl and Rosa’s Volcarona uses his wings to console a comically crying Luxray for losing another chase battle against Rosa. By this point, Rosa's giving a loud, stern lecture to Milotic on how to behave at her “father’s” house. Milotic looks irritated and angry, rolling her eyes like a rebellious teenager. The tired duo of Serperior and Eelektross continue to hold Milotic down, looking at each other in bewilderment and wondering when they can finally let go.

Then, Valen’s phone rings, and when he sees that it’s Melanie picks up, he answers it. “Sup, second best girl.”

“Second best girl?” Melanie asks, a bit confused.

“Yeah, because Rosa's best girl.” Rosa overhears this and is very delighted, happily closing her eyes with a wide smile on her face.

Melanie chuckles, replying, “Well, you two are absolutely adorable together, so I’m fine with second place.”

“Anyway, what’s up?”

“Well, I told you I was going to come by your place, but it seems that you two are okay."

Yep, we’re okay.”

"However, do you mind if I come over just to hang out and to see all this craziness,' Melanie asks? "It's been a while since my Pokémon hung out in your backyard.”

“Sure, come on over," Valen replies, sporting a friendly smile. "It’d be nice to have you and your Pokémon over here.”

“I’ll see you soon, big guy!”

“Sounds good to me.”

* * *

An hour has passed, and Melanie’s already arrived at Valen’s house. Like Rosa, Melanie calls out her Pokémon two at a time. First it’s Dragonite and Scizor. Then, it’s Alakazam and Swampert. Lastly, it’s male Pyroar and Absol.

Dragonite immediately goes to Salamence and Hydreigon, thus forming a triple dragon bromance, albeit the first two have had a dragon bromance since they were a Bagon and a Dratini. Swampert attempts to piece together why Milotic’s in a sour mood, and why Serperior and Eelektross are lying on the ground and panting out of exhaustion. Pyroar decides to hang out with Typhlosion and Aerodactyl. Alakazam joins Swampert in trying to figure out what happened between Milotic, Serperior, and Eelektross. Absol, broods with Luxray over the latter losing the chase battle against Rosa, with Volcarona joining the other two Fire-types, plus his Aerodactyl teammate. Meanwhile, Scizor, happily greets Golisopod with a claw bump, but they quickly end up getting into a competitive claw wrestling match.

Valen looks at Rosa’s Milotic, feeling that she’s the only Pokémon who isn’t having a good time. Furthermore, a quick glance towards Rosa reveals that her smile’s starting to fade away. Rosa’s growing more concerned about her Milotic, and Valen doesn’t want her smile to vanish. Valen places his right hand on Rosa’s head, giving her a warm smile. Rosa’s mouth curves into a sweet smile, realizing that Valen wants her to leave Milotic up to him. Rosa nods, and Valen starts walking towards Milotic.

As Rosa, Melanie, Alakazam, Swampert, Gengar and Gardevoir observe, Valen ponders about how to go about helping Rosa’s Milotic. Valen cautiously gets closer to the scowling Milotic, who has her eyes closed. “Easy girl, easy. It’s me, Valen.“ Valen gently says, sporting a pleasant smile. Valen carefully places his right hand onto Milotic and begins petting her. You remember me, don’t you?” Milotic’s scowl turns into an affectionate smile upon being pet by Valen—she remembers Valen very well. Milotic happily nuzzles her head against Valen’s chest, while Valen continues to pets her.

“Rosa and your teammates are your family, and they don’t mean to make you angry or upset,” Valen gently says. “Please be nice to them, alright?” Milotic happily closes her eyes and smiles at Valen, letting out cries to say she will and thanks. Milotic approaches the other Pokémon, letting out cries to apologize for all the trouble that she caused trouble. This time, Salamence decides to pay attention to Milotic, much to her delight. Milotic wraps herself around the dragon once more. It turns out that the dragon was merely emulating his trainer’s indifferent behavior because he felt like it.

Rosa’s very charmed that Valen cheered her Milotic up. “Tee-hee, Valey's sooooo sweet to Pokémon!” Then, Milotic lets out a cry to apologize to Rosa. “It’s kaaaaay, Milotic! Just be nice like Valey says! I’m sorry for getting mad, kaaayV” Milotic happily lets out a cry to say that it’s okay and she will, before returning to her attempt to get Salamence to finally go a date with her. Meanwhile, Golisopod lets out a victory cackle while Scizor lies face-up on the ground, comically crying over losing a claw wrestling match to Golisopod again.

Valen decides to approach Rosa’s Hydreigon. As he walks towards Hydreigon, he gives Milotic and Salamence a teasing wink, causing both Pokémon to blush. Valen exchanges a hi-five with Melanie’s Dragonite, and then greets Hydreigon. “Long time no see.” Hydreigon lets out a gentle roar to thank Valen for supporting him and his trainer in the battle against Leaf, and that he was obviously going to to with the battle. Valen pats Hydreigon on the head, much to the dragon’s delight.

"W-What?!" Rosa yelps. "He remembers my Hydreigon?!"

"That's right," Valen replies, glancing back at Rosa with a lopsided grin. "I faked being surprised and I played dumb."

"Nooooooo!" Rosa wails. "I fell for it!"

Valen feels a little bad for Serperior and Eelektross, so he walks up to them and pats both of them on the head, much to their delight. “Long time no see, Eelektross. She really gave you two a workout, huh?” Valen smirks at Serperior and Eelektross, both of whom are now happily chuckling, since in hindsight, both Pokémon find what happened to be hilarious. Valen turns to Melanie’s Alakazam and Swampert, also feeling a little bad that he didn’t greet them while walking past them. “Sup, you two?” Alakazam and Swampert let out joyful cries in response, and Valen exchanges a three way fist bump with both Pokémon as he walks back to where Melanie and Rosa stand, as well as where Gengar and Gardevoir stand.

“In other news, I’ve been thinking about making my return.” Valen smirks.

“Wait, do you mean what I think you mean?" Melanie asks.

Valen looks at Melanie and Rosa with a confident grin. “The name’s Reaper. The Black Reaper.”

“Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! So coooooool!” Both Rosa and Melanie exclaim in jubilation as they eyes sparkle, much to the amusement of all eighteen Pokémon present. Melanie’s face turns red, greatly embarrassed over the fact that her dormant, inner fangirl has resurfaced.

“Heh, I’m still a badass.” Valen, Gengar, and Gardevoir happily exchange a three-way fist bump. “I’ve said it before, but it feels good to be happy more often.”

“It’s about time I saw the old you show up more, big guy.”

“Tee-hee, Super Rosa always makes her sweetie happier!”

Then, Valen’s mouth curves into a wide grin and he glances leftwards toward Rosa. “At some point, let’s set up a date between my Salamence and your Milotic.” Both Pokémon blush immensely upon hearing Valen say this, and all of the other sixteen Pokémon fixate mischievous glares at them, eager for a merciless teasing and roasting session. Gardevoir and Gengar go to join the other Pokémon for this playful teasing and roasting session. As the other two dragons egg Kratos on, the other fourteen Pokémon approaching Milotic and Salamence at once.

Rosa closes her eyes in delight, saying, “Tee-hee, sounds good to me!”

Rosa's Milotic cries out in excitement as Valen's Gardevoir approves of this unofficial Pokémon relationship. Then, Milotic begins to sweat nervously when Gardevoir becomes serious, eerily letting Milotic know she’s always watching as she gives the aquatic serpent a menacing glare. Salamence cries out in embarrassment as Rosa's Hydreigon roars with laughter. Melanie's Dragonite lets out a laugh, amused that his old friend’s got game. Valen's Typhlosion gives her dragon teammate a smug grin, letting out a roar to ask how can Salamence sweep teams but can’t handle Milotic. Valen's Gengar lets out an low-pitched cry to tell his dragon teammate that the thought of him having a girlfriend's scarier than his favorite prank. Valen's Luxray roars that’s the spark’s been re-ignited, purring as a way to tease his teammate. Valen's Golisopod sneers at Salamence, letting out a robotic cackle over how Salamence can't even handle a lone Pokémon whom he's not even battling against.

Valen’s grin becomes devious as he just remembered a fact about both Milotic and Salamence. “Both of them are in the Dragon egg group, which means-“ Valen turns his attention to an embarrassed Salamence, who sweats nervously as he has the same exact grin as his Gardevoir teammate when she’s up to mischief. Gardevoir snickers, already knowing what joke Valen's going to drop on the dragon and his unofficial Milotic girlfriend.

"Tee-hee, you’re sooo bad, Valen!” Rosa giggles. “I love both sweet Valen and bad boy Valen!”

Rosa's Serperior and Eelektross are getting their payback for earlier by telling their teammate to give the dragon space or they’ll take her down again. They may have found it funny afterwards, but they still have a score to settle. Rosa's Aerodactyl's laughing so hard that he accidentally crashes into his Volcarona teammate, sending both Pokémon careening towards Melanie's Swampert. Swampert gasps and attempts to run away, but both Aerodactyl and Volcarona crash into him. All three Pokémon end up lying on the ground as a trio of disoriented messes, wondering what just happened.

"Only Valen would do this," Melanie comments, sporting an amused smile.

Melanie's Alakazam is chatting with his own dragon teammate about something the humans call a wedding, while Melanie's Absol wonders why she was brooding when doing what the humans do to each other is so much fun. Melanie's male Pyroar and Scizor tears up in hysterics at the thought of this big bad dragon attempting to wear what the humans call a tuxedo.

“Hey Salamence, no eggs for the time being," Valen teases. "That's a new house rule." Both Milotic and Salamence cry out in embarrassment as the sixteen Pokémon to roar loudly with laughter, while Rosa giggles and Melanie chuckles.

“Heh, I still got it,” Valen comments, sporting a smug grin.

“I seriously need to know how you two can act so normally after what happened yesterday, and why you’re suddenly happier than normal,” Melanie tells Valen, sporting a beaming smile.

“Nobody can break up the most badass couple of all time!” Valen and Rosa proudly exchange a fist bump. Then, Valen and Rosa back up into each other with wide, confident smiles, both closing their eyes at then same time. Melanie blinks in confusion as to what’s going on.

Rosa folds her arms with immense pride, stating, “It's the queen! Battle Queen Rosa!”

Valen places his hands in his pockets with immense pride, stating, “The name’s Reaper. The Black Reaper.”

“We win our battles at the speed of light!”

“We challenge you, so prepare to fight.”

“Yes! First try!” Valen and Rosa shout triumphantly as they hi-five each other in delight, while Melanie’s very delighted that Valen’s old self is actually starting to resurface.

Melanie folds her arms and chuckles to herself, saying, “Yep, I still ship them. Valen’s got a big-”

“That’s what she said.”

Melanie’s face fully reddens, her eyes widening in rage. “I was going to say heart, you dirty minded doofus!”

“He got you too!” Rosa giggles. "My Valey's sooooo funny!"

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is probably the biggest character development for Valen so far. From here on out, you'll see him acting a tad bit different, albeit it won't be a quick process. 
> 
> Georgian architecture predates Victorian architecture.
> 
> I don’t know if I should explain any historical references. Lemme know if you think that I should with Y/N
> 
> I know one of you is gonna know what franchise Yami Valen’s a reference to.
> 
> Y/N: Did you like the interactions between the Pokémon. More importantly, do you ship Valen's Salamence with Rosa's Milotic?
> 
> In hindsight, I question whether I should reference the Team Rocket trio's motto or not, considering Rosa's past. However, since it's got no association with Team Rocket within this fic, I don't think it'll be a problem. I doubt the trio would even be accepted into this fic's Team Rocket.
> 
> Revisions include cuts, extended dialogue, dialogue/text alterations, and added details.


	15. Meeting Rosa’s Friends

Four days after Valen made Rosa and himself official, the duo have gone back to the same battle arena within Valen’s neighborhood. Melanie and Arthur are present, wanting to meet Rosa’s friends. Even Valen's present, much to Melanie and Arthur's surprise. Valen may be okay with them being around and he may love Rosa, but he sure as heck doesn't like, much less love, to socialize.

Melanie glances to her right towards Valen, stating, “I'm impressed that you actually showed up, big guy.”

An indifferent Valen groans as he sits down on the wooden bench. Valen closes his eyes and folds his arms, looking like he's about to fall asleep out of boredom. “First of all, I came so Rosa doesn’t get sad,” Valen counters as he yawns again, now slouching on the bench. “I love her more than I dislike socializing, my naps being disturbed, people nagging me, and other things that I currently don't feel like mentioning,” Valen states, much to Rosa’s delight as she sports a jubilant smile. Melanie and Arthur stare at Valen and blink in confusion.

“I forgot that my ship actually happened!” Melanie broadly smiles towards Valen as her eyes sparkle, clasping her hands in front of her grinning mouth. “Rosa and Valen is soooo my OTP! You two are the most adorable pair ever! I’m soooo going to write a fic about you two!”

Valen groans, smacking his right palm into his face. “Again with the word adorable.”

“What does OTP mean?” Arthur piques up, causing Melanie to roll her eyes, Rosa to giggle, and Valen to yawn again, which he would have done anyway.

Valen faintly smiles over this odd situation, but quickly reverts back to his usual, serious expression. “Secondly, I’m here to battle, not befriend. Lastly, was time to make us official again, because she earned it.”

Arthur chuckles over the fact that somebody as aloof as Valen went ahead with a relationship. “Good work, mate.”

“Rosa’s best girl, and don’t you forget it.” Valen gives Rosa an adoring smile.

Rosa closes her eyes, brimming with elation, “Tee-hee, I knew he couldn’t resist me forever! I’m quintuple effective against my Valey sweetie!”

Melanie has now reverted back to her calm demeanor, glancing towards Rosa. “Hey, you’re still crashing at Valen’s place?”

“Well, I did go back to my place for four days, but I had soooo much fun while staying with Valen, and I was already missing him sooo much!" Rosa pretends to be sad, but then reverts back to her usual self. The lively girl's mouth curving into a broad grin as the jumps up and down. "That’s why earlier today, I brought a number of my belongings over to his house. He said that I could stay as long as I’d like!”

Then, Rosa gives Valen a sultry wink and smile, but Valen doesn’t notice due to his eyes being closed. _“It’s soooo obvious, you silly boooy! I know what you want to ask me, you shy cutieeee!”_

Valen turns his head to his right, hiding his reddened face. Valen pokes two fingers together as he experiences a fluttery feeling in his stomach. _“Is it too soon to ask Rosa to m-move in with me? I would really like to have her a-around at home too, but she’s so vivacious, cute and pretty that it makes me too nervous to ask. I guess some things never change.”_

“Heeeey, here they are! Yaaaaay!” Rosa’s delighted as she spots Leaf, Calem, Brendan and Hilda entering the battle arena, which snaps Valen back into focus, much to his relief. "Hiii, everybody!" Rosa waves at her friends, who acknowledge her presence by giving her friendly smiles.

“Hiii, Mr. Meanie!” Leaf happily waves at Valen, her voice emitting a tone that matches the bubbly aura she’s emitting.

Valen keeps his eyes closed, but faintly smiles. “Sup?”

Leaf's eyes widen as she jumps back a few feet. “H-Huh, Mr. Meanie actually replied to me in a nicer tone?!” Leaf’s voice emits a disbelieving tone.

“Yep.” Valen smirks.

“I’m one step closer!” Leaf happily exclaims.

“I dunno about that,” Valen retorts.

“Hmph, I won't give up,” Leaf asserts, sporting a confident smile.

“Mr. Meanie is a fitting nickname for you,” Melanie laughs as she playfully flicks Valen on the top of his head.

“It’s better than being called adorable,” Valen counters.

“Name’s Calem. I’m from Kalos.” Calem’s gaze darts downwards, keenly studying the wear and tear of the arena. Calem observes that the arena has been well maintained despite showing signs that many battles took place here, as evident by the signs of various cracks and holes underneath the lush, green glass.

“I’m Expert Trainer Hilda! Just like Rosa, I hail from Unova!” Hilda sports a wide grin, waving at everybody with a big grin as she radiates an aura of happiness.”

 _“More like Expert Dummy Hilda,”_ Rosa thinks to herself, sporting a cocky, lopsided smirk. _“I’m the queen, not her.”_

Leaf fixates an excited gaze towards Melanie and Arthur. “Hiii, you’ve already heard my name. I’m from Kanto!”

As for Brendan, he's his usual smug and mischievous self. Brendan closes his eyes and folds his arms with a cocky grin on his face. “Sup, Brendan’s in the house. I also go by Big B, Big Poppa, and The Notorious Brendan.” Calem, Leaf, Hilda, and Rosa are already fixating disapproving glares at Brendan. Meanwhile, Melanie is perplexed, Arthur’s trying to figure out why Brendan’s friends look annoyed, and Valen cares about this as little as he possibly can. “I’m Hoenn’s number one hustler! I make it rain dollars! However, I’m a strong and serious battler like the rest of you. I'm also a battle rapper-”

“Be quiet, you blabbering idiot!” Rosa, Leaf, Hilda and Calem angrily shout at the same time while scowling. Arthur and Melanie laugh to themselves. Even Valen’s slightly amused by Brendan’s antics, as evident by a faint smirk.

Brendan's eyes bulge out as he pouts, stating, “Just until my mixtape drops, player haters!”

Valen returns to being indifferent and once again, he’s on the verge of falling asleep due to boredom, but he's taken a keen interest in Brendan. “I like this Brendan guy already, because he says whatever he feels like saying,” Valen murmurs.

“My name is Arthur, and it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” Arthur gives off a vibe of great significance, and Leaf, Calem, Hilda, and Brendan wonder if he’s royalty.

Melanie folds her arms and has a wide smile on her face. The confident aura Melanie emanates causes Leaf, Hilda, Calem, and Brendan to feel as if she's the unofficial boss of this group, as Melanie’s gaze and posture emits a commanding, confident aura.

However, the four of them note that she also emits an acute aura of friendliness, while the slouching guy in the leather jacket emits the exact opposite feeling. “My name’s Melanie, and my doofus friend who's sitting behind me will introduce himself for once.” Melanie, Arthur, and Rosa glances back at Valen. Melanie's gaze is one of commanding pressure, Arthur's gaze is one of uncertainty, and Rosa looks like she’s a puppy begging for a treat in an attempt to get Valen to actually introduce himself by using her Cute Charm ability.

Instead of introducing himself, Valen re-opens his eyes, coldly staring at everybody not named Rosa. Valen yawns so loud that someone could mistake him for a Snorlax who has either just woken up or is about to fall asleep, barking, “Fuck off with the introductions and tell me who my opponent is before I actually fall asleep.”

With a tight lipped smile, a sweating Rosa glances behind her towards Valen. “I....I should’ve known....that he’d only change towards me....Melanie too, I guess.”

Arthur looks back at Valen in confusion, murmuring, “I have to wonder why Valen's so against socializing, but I shall respect his privacy.”

Melanie lets out a deep sigh over Valen’s behavior. Then. Melanie emits a bossy aura as she glares at Valen with displeasure, stating, “Valen, you really need to be less rude.”

Calem's eyes slightly widen upon hearing his old friend's name. _"I didn't even recognize him!"_

Hilda fixates a curious gaze at Valen, murmuring, “Rosa’s been talking about this Valen guy a lot, but I feel like we’ve met before. Maybe it’s just my imagination.”

Melanie feels a chill when Valen glares at her, his stare emitting zero warmth. “They'll forget about me.” Valen murmurs to Melanie. “Society tend to forget about us.”

“I guess Rosa wants to keep certain things about this guy a secret,” Brendan murmurs. “He seems antisocial.”

Calem glances at Hilda, noting that Hilda’s been worryingly overconfident since she set foot in Calvana. _“If she underestimates Valen as a trainer, she’s going to regret it.”_

Hilda begins to tap her right foot, faintly scowling as she wants to get into battle immediately. Hilda’s scowl turns into wide grin, deciding to step in to get the ball rolling. “If two trainers make eye contact, they must battle!” Hilda makes strong eye contact with Valen who just re-opens his eyes.

“Fuck off with that crap,” Valen gibes, much to everybody's dismay.

Hilda simmers with anger, her lips curling out of disgust and flaring her nostrils over Valen’s rudeness. “You won't make any friends with that kind of attitude!”

“A battle is a battle, no matter how it starts,” Valen defiantly responds. “Also, the less friendships I have, the more safe I'll be.”

“Less friends....makes you safer” Leaf blinks, her eyebrows curved downwards.

“You won't understand,” Valen coldly replies, his stare emitting zero warmth.

Hilda's extremely put off by Valen's attitude, as evident by her scowl. However, the battle loving girl's oddly charmed by his seemingly absolute interest in battling. _“He’s very rude, but he's also kinda cool. Sadly, he seems very cynical.”_

Valen realizes that he forgot to address Calem, the one person among the four that he actually knows. Valen looks at his old friend, who’s standing left of Hilda. “Long time no see,” Valen says, avoiding direct eye contact by looking at Calem's blue track jacket.

“Man, you’ve changed a lot since the last time I saw you,” Calem observes, frowning over his old friend's new personality. However, Calem's mouth quickly curves into a friendly smile. “It's good to see you again, though.”

“Likewise, but things change and people change.” Valen glances leftwards to Rosa with a faint, adoring smile, and Rosa gives Valen a more visible smile of the same nature. “However, I've come to realize that there’s one major thing that hasn’t changed at all. This world may be dark, but an incorruptible angel's found her way back into my life.”

“Yep, definitely my OTP,” Melanie remarks, sporting a prideful smile.

“Once again, what the bloody hell does OTP mean?” Arthur questions. 

“You've never tried to write a fic before, have you?” Melanie asks.

”No, I have not,” Arthur replies. Arthur lifts his eyebrows, asking, "Have you ever written a novel before?"

“Two novels, but neither have been published,” Melanie admits. “I'll get around to that one day.”

“Are they about these-”

“Arthur, just because I ship these two doesn't mean I'm going to write novels about these two.” Melanie smirks.

“Huh, these two guys already know each other?” Brendan glances at Valen and Calem, scratching his left check.

Leaf scowls at Calem, chastising, “Hmph, leave it to Calem to not tell us anything.”

Rosa happily pats Valen on his back, proclaiming, “I bet that my Valey sweetie will win with both Pokémon still standing!”

“Rosa, we're from the same region!” Hilda exclaims, pouting over the fact that Rosa isn't supporting her.

”Oh please, you falsely call yourself the queen,” Rosa laughs, waving her right hand in a dismissal manner. “We both know that I’m the queen.”

“No way, I’m the queen!”

“Hahahahahahaha, keep dreaming!”

Valen faintly smiles, deciding to have a little bit of fun. Valen places his left arm around Rosa’s waist, giving her a warm, fuzzy feeling. However, while Valen also wanted to show Rosa affection, he has something that's more mischievous planned for her. Then, much to everybody's surprise, Valen pulls Rosa downward, having her head rest on his upper chest, and gives Rosa a noogie on her head with his right fist.

“Don’t exaggerate my strength, you adorable pain in the ass,” Valen teases with an affectionate smile, continuing to give Rosa a noogie.

Rosa closes her eyes as she cries with laughter. While she’s enormously flustered, Rosa’s also enormously overjoyed that Valen is willing to be affectionate towards her in public. “Hahahahaha! “It’s not an exaggeration! S-stop doing this to me! Hahahahahahaha!”

“Rosa, I'm sure you figured out that not wanting to socialize doesn’t mean that I can’t play around with you in front of other people!” Valen teases.

"Hahahahahaha, you kinda made it obvious when you started doing this to me!" Rosa points out. "Hahahahahahaha, stop it you big lovable idiot!"

Valen snickers, much to Melanie and Arthur's surprise, while the other four laugh. "Make me stop, Rosa!"

“Hahahahaha, I’ll get you back for this, you bad cutie! I’ll give you a merciless barrage of Sweet Kisses!”

Valen laughs even louder, as he’s gotten used to Rosa’s antics. “Gimme all you got! I can take it!”

A wide-eyes Melanie fixates her gaze at Valen, stunned at his lack of reaction over what she just heard Rosa call him, and Valen’s unusual behavior in general. “W-W-What?! First, he says hi to somebody! Then, he expresses his feelings! Then, he laughs loudly! Lastly, he didn’t even react when Rosa called him a cutie! Valen, why're you suddenly two people in one body?!”

A cocky Valen lets out a taunting laugh as he continues to play around with Rosa. “Oh, wouldn’t you like to know?”

Melanie’s eyes bulge out with anger. “Valen, what did I say about being rude?!”

Arthur merely looks on with intrigue, murmuring, “Valen’s peculiar mannerism requires a more thorough examination.”

Leaf's eyes sparkle as she clasps her hands in front of her face, excitedly proclaiming, "Yay, I got to see a part of Mr. Meanie's sweet side again!"

Even though Valen was extremely rude to her, Hilda’s enthralled by how quickly his personality changed towards one of her closest friends. “Heeeey, you two can be adorable later! Don't forget that your opponent is over here!” Hilda calls out to Valen as she’s eager to battle, and Valen lets Rosa go as he turns to look in Hilda’s direction, not realizing that Rosa is seductively licking her lips in preparation for the aforementioned Sweet Kiss barrage.

However, Rosa’s plan gets interrupted by Hilda’s cockiness. “Prepare to lose to me, Valen!” Hilda boasts with boisterous laughter. “I'm undefeated within Calvana so far!”

“Hilda, please don’t underestimate a trainer who can control a Salamence,” Calem chastises in a lowered tone, clenching his teeth out of annoyance. 

Much to Rosa’s irritation, this comment just foiled her playful scheme. A quick glance towards her boyfriend reveals that’s he very displeased with Hilda’s attitude, causing Rosa to fold her arms and pout.

In response to Hilda, a scowling Valen finally stands up and re-open his eyes, having gone from indifferent to intimidating. Everybody's gone quiet, concerned about what’s going to happen next. Valen keeps his arms folded as he fixates his unamused glare downwards at Hilda, causing her to feel like that Valen just struck her with Sheer Cold. Valen's demeanor and posture resembling that of a no-nonsense commanding officer giving orders to trainees at a military boot camp. In fact, Hilda's imagining Valen in a dark green military uniform, barking at her to drop and give her a hundred pushups with no breaks. Hilda images herself falling to the ground out of exhaustion.

Valen’s demeanor also makes Hilda wonder if he’s ready about to go on the attack, like he’s a fearless knight who’s ready to draw his sword and engage in a conflict. Hilda imagines Valen as a knight in armor, drawing a sword as he rides in on a Mudsdale, chasing a panicked Hilda out of the kingdom. Hilda attempts to cease having such crazy mental imagery about someone she just met, but she can’t help herself.

Valen’s demeanor and posture continues to unnerve Hilda, causing her to sweat nervously as she ponders if he’s about to challenge her to a fight between humans instead of a fight between Pokémon. As sweat drips down onto her black vest jacket, Hilda imagines a scowling Valen as a member of a group of outlaw bikers, like the characters she recalls seeing in Hilbert’s favorite television show: Sons of Yveltal. Hilda imagines Valen with a menacing, black motorcycle alongside a bunch of rough looking guys, complete with a black, leather vest that shows off his muscular arms. Everyone present in this fantasy looks like they’re itching for a fight, while a terrified and confused Hilda gets thrown out of their hangout.

Since everybody’s still quiet, the overly imaginative Hilda envisions Valen as a gangster wielding a tommy gun. She vividly recalls seeing this portrayal of a gangster in all of the mob movies Hilbert and her have watched, as well as her own favorite television show: Unovan Empire. Hilda imagines Valen donning a suit, a trench coat, and a fedora, all three being as black as the night sky. Imaginary gangster Valen smokes a cigar as he fixates a murderous glare at imaginary Hilda outside of a battle stadium, coldly threatening her that she needs to lose the Pokémon battle on purpose “or things are gonna get ugly.”

As scary and serious Valen can be, he won’t physically attack people unless he thinks that they absolutely deserve it. After a tense three minutes of eerie silence, Valen simply closes his eyes again as he yawns once more, much to everybody’s relief. “Do you really think that I'm going to be easily defeated?” Valen asks an unnerved Hilda in an eerily low tone. “You shouldn't go into battle while underestimating the opposition, because you never know who's going to trounce you.”

Brendan has taken note of Valen's rather unsettling tone and posture, remarking, “This dude looks and sounds like he's more of a battle hardened fighter than a regular Pokémon trainer!”

Valen re-opens his eyes, glancing northeast to address Brendan. “I'm ex-military, but I won't go into any more details that that.”

Hilda manages to calm herself down and marches back to her previous spot, murmuring, “That explains why he looks more buff than the other guys. I better be careful around him.”

Valen really doesn't want to talk about his military service. Thus, Valen looks directly at Hilda with a less intimidating, but still disapproving gaze. "Let's get back to what I came here for, alright?"

Hilda's still nervous by the fact that Valen seems too serious about all of this, and seems like an unamused person overall. However, Hilda’s happiness quickly returns as her mouth curves into a wide smile. “Sureeee, I really wanna battle you to begin with!” Hilda turns around and proceeds to stride towards the other end of the arena, while Valen saunters past Melanie, Arthur, and Rosa. Leaf, Calem and Brendan walk rightwards, then turning to face the center of the arena.

“How about we make it a double battle?” Valen asks.

“I’m more than okay with that!” Hilda eagerly replies, happily closing her eyes.

Rosa’s eyebrows pull downwards as she looks at Hilda with a fiercely competitive gaze, even though she's not the one battling. “Prepare for you first loss in Calvana!” Rosa tilts her head toward Valen, oozing with pride over her beloved. "My prince is going to mop you up like I did at the Pokémon World Tournament three years ago!" Rosa gives Valen a seductive, cocky wink, her mouth curving into a content, confident smile. In response to Rosa’s words and demeanor, Valen glances back at her with an amused smile.

Hilda's face reddens with embarrassment, as the battle Rosa mentioned was one where Rosa had none of her three Pokémon defeated. Hilda is now very self-conscious, nervously exclaiming, “Aieeee, d-don't mention that battle!” Hilda jumps up and down, greatly flustered as she forms fists with both hands. Hilda flaring her nostrils at Rosa, chastising, "I told you to show me some support! We're from the same region!”

With her eyebrows still pulled downwards, Rosa places her hands on her hips and lets out a boisterous laugh. “You're battling the boyfriend of Battle Queen Rosa! You're going to get your butt kicked!" Rosa proclaims, sporting a smug grin. "Also, of course he's going to get all of my support! I love my Valey as much as Hau loves his malasadas!" The comparison to Hau makes Leaf, Brendan, and Calem laugh loudly. Hilda forgets about her annoyance towards Rosa, joining her friends in laughter.

“Hau?” Melanie and Arthur murmur in confusion.

Valen lets out a yawn. He couldn’t care less about who this Hau person is.

Hilda's embarrassment and annoyance turns into captivation over the relationship between Valen and Rosa, her mouth curving into a broad smile. Hilda clasps her hands next to her right cheek, stating, “On second thought, you two are sooooo cute together!”

“Get her, Mr. Meanie!” Leaf excitedly cheers as she forms fists with both hands and extends them outward in front of her with her elbows bended in a right angle, pretending that she's about to fight somebody.

Hilda’s eyes widen as she clenches her teeth, glancing to her northwest. “L-Leaf, not you too!”

Leaf giggles, replying, “Sorry, but you aren’t as cool as Mr. Meanie!”

A jubilant Rosa decides to join in, stating, “Tee-hee, Leaf and I are the Valey Girls!”

“Hee hee, that’s right!” Leaf exclaims, forming a piece sign with her right hand. “Valen might be Mr. Meanie, but that doesn’t mean I’m not a fan!”

Hilda lets out a deep sigh, rolling her eyes in annoyance. Then, Hilda takes out two Poké Balls, one in each of her hands. “I’ll use Emboar and Beartic!” Hilda presses the buttons on both Poké Balls to let her two Pokémon out. Emboar lets out a booming cry, sounding like a wrester who had just won a big match Beartic snarls in a lowered tone, sounding like a vicious predator threatening a person or a Pokémon to back away from him. Both Pokémon confidently flexing their muscles at the same time, as if they were bodybuilders. Hilda proudly smiles as both her and her two Pokémon await to see Valen’s two Pokémon.

Valen also takes out two Poké Balls, one in each of his hands. “With an opponent as overconfident as her, this shouldn’t take long,” Valen murmurs, pressing the buttons on both Poké Balls to let his Salamence and Typhlosion out. Both Pokémon have their heads bend downwards, their eyes closed like both of them are in the middle of a mediation session.

A grinning Hilda's excited by the sight of seeing Valen’s Salamence and Typhlosion, but she remains overconfident. “Your Pokémon look strong, but I’ll still defeat you quickly so I can battle even more trainers. Prepare to feel the might of Expert Trainer Hilda!” Hilda’s Pokémon glance behind them towards her, feeling nervous over what’s about to happen.

“If she thinks that her Beartic can easily defeat Valen's Salamence because of the type advantage, she's going to be in for a rude awakening," Calem murmurs. "Valen's Salamence can be an absolute monster in a Pokémon battle."

Salamence opens his eyes and glares at Hilda with his eyes angled downwards, displeased that this human seems to have underestimated him. Hilda backs up a few feet as the dragon’s glare pierces her soul like a sword. The monstrous, red winged dragon lets out a ear-splitting, thunderous roar, forcing everybody except Valen and the other Pokémon to cover their ears. The dragon's roar is nearly as loud as a space rocket taking off from a launchpad. His intimidating roar also sends a large amount of shockwaves through the ground and air.

Typhlosion opens her eyes, and fixates a glare at her opponents that looks borderline murderous, feeling even more displeased. Hilda's blue eyes widen as Typhlosion gives her a menacing glare, her heartbeat and pulse rapidly increasing. Sweat drips from Hilda's face onto her black, sleeveless vest as Valen’s demeanor slices up the jubilant, confidence attitude she just had. the ferocious Fire-type bears her dagger-like teeth. Typhlosion lets out a intimidating, belligerent roar as flames shoot up on her back like magma shooting up to the top of a volcano, and her roar sounds like the booming sound of an erupting volcano. Her roar sends more shockwaves through the ground and air.

Brenda’s eagerly looking forward to seeing this duo of intimidatingly powerful Pokémon duke it out with Hilda's Emboar and Beartic. “Dang, this dude managed to tame a Salamence!” Brendan exclaims, sporting an enthusiastic smile. "That Typhlosion looks really tough as well!”

Leaf’s eagerly anticipating the battle as well, stating, "Yaaaaay, I finally get to see Mr. Meanie in action!"

After her initial reaction over how menacing Valen’s Salamence and Typhlosion look and behave wears off, Hilda goes from unnerved and fearful to cheerful and excited. Hilda pulls her eyebrows downwards, fixating an overconfident glare at Valen. “This will be a good warm-up for the battle with that three time Calvana Conference winner!” Then, Hilda's overconfidence turns into a massive case of embarrassment. Hilda sees and hears that every person present who isn’t named Valen is laughing to some extent, except Arthur. Arthur wants to know who this winner is himself, but quickly realizes it himself and joins the laughing.

“Tee-hee, what a silly person you are!” Rosa giggles.

“Heh, she still hasn’t figured it out,” Calem observes with the faintest laugh among them all.

“Hilda, it’s obvious who Rosa meant!” Brendan snickers.

“Hee hee, Hilda’s the only who hasn’t figured it out!” Leaf giggles.

“I may have found someone more oblivious than Valen. I didn’t think that was possible.” Melanie chuckles.

“It was uncomplicated to conclude the precise individual.” Arthur chuckles.

A wide-eyed Hilda jumps up and down, her teeth clenched and her face having fully reddened out of embarrassment. “S-Stop laughing at me and just tell me a-already! T-Tell me who it is!”

“Seriously, you’re this fucking dumb? Who else would it be?” Valen asks Hilda in a lowered, belittling tone.

Hilda bears her teeth, scowling over Valen’s rudeness However, Hilda's jaw drops a few seconds later. Hilda backs up a few feet, as it finally hits her that her opponent’s the three time Calvana Conference winner. Furthermore, she had forgotten that Rosa told Leaf that said person was her prince, and Rosa called Valen her prince.

Valen places his hands in his pockets, his mouth having curved into a smirk. “Use Earthquake.” Salamence flaps his wings and takes flight as Typhlosion jumps up, them slams herself down on her feet as hard as she can. A flurry of white shockwaves rumble the entire arena, causing Emboar and Beartic to close their eyes as they wobble from the attack, especially in Emboar’s case.

“Typhlosion, use Flamethrower on Beartic,” Valen commands. Typhlosion lets out a menacing roar, launching a reddish orange stream of fire from her mouth towards Beartic.

“Emboar, counter with Scald!" Emboar fires off a stream of steaming, boiling water from his mouth to counter Typhlosion’s Flamethrower. Both attacks collide and cancel each other out, causing a medium explosion in the process.

“Salamence, counter with Hydro Pump." As the smoke from the explosion clears up, Salamence fires off a powerful stream of water from his mouth, striking Emboar in the face.

As Emboar stumbles backwards, Hilda smirks, realizing that Valen’s Salamence is within close proximity of her Beartic. “Beartic, hit Salamence with an Ice Punch!” Beartic's left fist glows icy blue and he strikes Salamence on the dragon's right side, landing a blow to his face. Salamence stumbles backwards as Beartic prepares to attack once more.

“Use Ice Punch again!” Beartic's left fist glows icy blue again and he strikes Salamence in the lower jaw, sending the dragon reeling. However, much to both Hilda and Beartic's surprise, Salamence quickly pulls himself together and lets out another thunderous roar.

“W-What in the world?!” Hilda yelps, her eyes having widened. "It’s still raring to go after two Ice Punch attacks?! This dragon's more powerful that I thought!"

"Use Dragon Pulse on Emboar and Fire Blast on Beartic." A royal blue ball forms inside of Salamence’s mouth while Typhlosion spits out a powerful surge of red-orange flames that take the shape of the kanji for fire. As Beartic takes a direct hit from Fire Blast as is sent stumbling backwards, Salamence launches his Dragon Pulse attack at Emboar, who gets hit in the orange area of his chest, right below the constant flames under his jaw. Emboar's able to keep his footing, his trainer having realized that Valen's not someone who can be defeated so easily.

“Uh oh, this guy might be the hardest opponent I’ve faced in this region so far.” Hilda’s cheerfulness and confidence return quickly. “I’ll still win this no matter what!” Hilda proudly announces. 

“Hahahahahahahahahahahaha! What happened to defeating me quickly, Expert Trainer Hilda?!” Valen mocks, his nose turned up towards Hilda. “Where’s all that bravado now, you wussy?!”

""Expert Trainer Hilda won't lose to someone so rude!" Hilda narrows her eyebrows downwards, fixating a fiercely competitive glare at Valen. "I’m still in this!”

Valen faintly smirks, replying, “Alright, then give us all you got.”

"Emboar use Scald! Beartic use Ice Fang!” Emboar fires off another stream of steaming, boiling water from his mouth, while Beartic's fangs glow light blue and he charges towards Salamence.

“Typhlosion, intercept and use Flamethrower. Kratos, fly higher and use Hydro Pump on Emboar again.” As Beartic charges at Salamence, Typhlosion quickly intercepts as Salamence flies higher. With a smug grin on her face, Typhlosion fires off another powerful stream of fire, striking Beartic in the middle of his chest and sending him reeling. At the same time, Salamence fires off another powerful stream of water, striking Emboar in the face and sending him reeling as well.

“Emboar, use Stone Edge on Typhlosion! Beartic, use Ice Beam on Salamence!” Gray rocks that glow red began to form an circle around Emboar, who fires off all of the glowing rocks towards Typhlosion at a rapid pace. At the same time, Beartic fires off a light blue beam of energy from his mouth at Salamence. Since the attacks were launched at a much closer proximity, neither Salamence nor Typhlosion have time to evade or counter attack. Salamence gets struck in his neck and Typhlosion closes her eyes, staggering upon taking the barrage of glowing rocks.

“Emboar, use Scald on Typhlosion! Beartic, use Ice Fang on Salamence!” Emboar fires off another stream of steaming, boiling water from his mouth, while Beartic's fangs glow light blue as he charges at Salamence again. Typhlosion’s hit in the middle of her body while Beartic bites down on Salamence’s right wing. Both Salamence and Typhlosion stagger backwards, still reeling from Ice Beam and Stone Edge as well.

A gleeful Hilda closes her eyes, grinning and jumping up in the air as she rejoices over being able to seemingly turn the tables on Valen. “Yes, now we’re getting somewhere! Both of you, use Stone Edge!" Gray rocks that glow red began to form an circle around Emboar, who fires off all of the glowing rocks towards Typhlosion at a rapid pace. Beartic does the exact same thing as Emboar, except he's targeting Salamence and the gray rocks that he’s firing off are glowing light blue. Salamence and Typhlosion close their eyes, trying their hardest to endure their third super effective attack in a row.

Valen notices that Typhlosion's pulled herself together. "That's my girl. Then, Valen notices that his Salamence’s still staggering backwards from the damage he’s taken. “Pull yourself together,” Valen encourages the dragon, who's severely struggling to re-opens his eyes. Then, Salamence fixates a fierce glare at his opponents, letting out another thunderous roar. "That's my boy."

Hilda’s jaw drops, rubbing her eyes three times to make sure what she’s seeing is real. “What's that Salamence made out of?! Is it secretly a Steel-type or something?! That dragon took four Ice-type attacks plus two Stone Edge attacks!” 

Valen folds his arms, turning his nose up at Hilda while gloating, “Hahahahahahahahahahaha, did you really think that having a type advantage alone can guarantee you the win against my Pokémon!” Valen sneers. “You’re such a dumbass!”

Hilda’s had enough of Valen’s behavior. “How come you're being such a jerk towards me?!” Hilda erupts, scowling over Valen's attitude while baring her teeth and flaring her nostrils. “You need to be nice to other people too, Valen!” Hilda's Beartic snarls and Hilda's Emboar lets out a bellow. 

“Sorry Valen. but I'm going to have to side with her,” Melanie scolds, furrowing her brow. “You're being really rude, and it's not acceptable.”

“You don't know shit about what I've been through, so shut the fuck up,” Valen growls at Hilda, causing her to fixate a furious glare at Valen as she begins to seethe.

“Valen, enough-”

“Melanie, I genuinely appreciate all that you’ve done for me,” Valen interjects. “However, you've never been through hell and back, so you need to keep your mouth shut”

Melanie’s eyes widen, her eyes becoming moist. “V-Valen....why....that really hurt.” Melanie places her right hand over her hardening stomach. “....Why’d you say something like that to me?”

Valen realizes that he went too far. “I'm sorry,” Valen replies, letting out a heavy sigh. “That was uncalled for.”

“It's alright....but at least tell me why....why you're still like this?” Melanie winces.

“The world's cold, that's why.” Valen's Salamence and Typhlosion glance at each other, their expressions carrying a hint of anguish over their trainer's demeanor. No matter how powerful they are, they feel helpless when it comes to their trainer's current state. 

Melanie bows her head, replying, “I forgot that your outlook's still bleak....Rosa’s the exception. I guess I’m also an exception....despite what just happened."

 _“I’d like to know more about him.”_ Hilda stares in confusion. _"He's not bad at heart, so what's his problem?"_

 _“All joking aside, he got the name Mr. Meanie for a reason.”_ Leaf sighs. _“Still, he's not a bad person at heart.”_

 _“He's masking how much he's suffering inside....I feel really bad for him.”_ Rosa grimaces.

 _“He's rude because the world's cold?”_ Brendan blinks in confusion. _“What's that supposed to mean?”_

“With that said, I shouldn't belittle a fellow trainer,” Valen admits, snapping Hilda back into focus. “Also, I apologize to Beartic and Emboar.”

“W-What?!” Hilda gasps, noting that both her Pokémon and Valen's Pokémon are sporting faint, content smiles. “Y-You're-“

“I should've said something different to you,” Valen admits, sporting the faintest of smiles. “I’m kinda enjoying this battle.”

Hilda’s jaw drops open, stunned by Valen’s sudden change in behavior. Then, Hilda's mouth curves into a broad grin, clasping her hands next to her left cheek. “Valen, you’re making this sooo difficult, but it’s also really fun to face someone as strong as you! You're definitely the strongest trainer I've faced in this region. Your Pokémon are sooooo incredible!”

“You're also strong,” Valen replies. “You have my respect as a trainer.”

“Right back at you!” Hilda exclaims, forming a fist with her left hand while bending her elbow. "Back to the battle! Beartic, use Ice Punch!" Beartic's left fist glows light blue again as he charges at Salamence. However, much to everyone's shock, Valen isn't giving any commands, Hilda, Leaf, Calem, and Brendan are baffled, while Rosa, Melanie, and Arthur smile.

“H-Huh?! No command towards either Pokémon?!” A flabbergasted Hilda places her right hand over her gaping mouth.

“Playtime's over.” Valen smirks. At the last second, Valen makes his move. “Evade and use Iron Tail.” Just as Beartic's about to strike Salamence in the lower jaw, the dragon immediately does a full circle with his tail now glowing silver, brutally striking Beartic on the Ice-type's right side.

Hilda jumps back several feet, her eyes widening as she clenches her teeth. “Aieeeeeeeeeeee! You've got to be kidding me! He waited until the last second to counterattack?!”

“Iron Tail again.” Salamence’s tail glows silver again, and he flies up into the air. Salamence swings his tail, landing another brutal blow to Beartic, this time on the Ice-type's lower jaw, This time, Beartic falls to the ground. Beartic manages to get back up, albeit barely.

Hilda frantically jumps up and down, freaking out over the tables being turned on her. “E-Emboar, hurry up and use Stone Edge!”

“Typhlosion, use Earthquake before Emboar can launch Stone Edge again!” As Salamence remains up in the air, and before all of the rocks can even form and encircle Emboar, Typhlosion jumps up, then slams back down as hard as she can, sending a flurry of white shockwaves that cause the ground to rumble. Both Emboar and the nearly defeated Beartic wobble from the attack. Valen sees this as his chance to finish off Beartic, while Emboar's significantly struggling to pull itself together.

“Salamence, third time’s the charm! Use Iron Tail on Beartic again! Typhlosion, use Flamethrower on Beartic!” First, Typhlosion fires off another powerful stream of fire from her mouth, striking Beartic on the top of his head, the Ice-type being slightly bent over from the brutal trio of Iron Tail attacks he took. Speaking of Iron Tail, Salamence finishes Beartic off by swinging his tail, which glows silver once more. Beartic takes another brutal hit, this time on his right cheek. Beartic's sent stumbling backwards, quickly falling to the ground in defeat. Then, Salamence lets out a booming roar, his eyes glowing royal blue. Moxie's taken effect, but Valen won't be needing it for this battle.

An extremely panicked Hilda closes her eyes and jumps up and down once again, wailing, “Aieeee, t-this c-can’t be happening!”

Valen gives Salamence and Typhlosion an approving smile, feeling like a father who just watched his kids succeed in a baseball or basketball match. Salamence and Typhlosion are overjoyed that their trainer is proud of them, but they quickly revert back to their fiercely competitive demeanors, as they know that they still have to defeat Emboar. “Salamence, use Hydro Pump. Typhlosion, use Fire Blast." Before Hilda can even command Emboar to launch a counter attack, Salamence and Typhlosion simultaneously launch a powerful stream of water and a surge of flames that take the shape of the kanji for fire, and both attacks hit Emboar in the middle of his body at the same time. Hilda wails even louder, knowing that she's about to lose despite the Blaze ability activating, as evident by the exhausted Emboar's glowing red eyes.

Valen closes his eyes and smirks, knowing that he has won this battle. “Salamence, finish this with Hyper Beam." Salamence remains up in the air as an orb of orange energy forms inside of his mouth. Then, the dragon launches a powerful orange beam of energy downwards at Emboar. Emboar's struck in his upper chest, falling to the ground in defeat. Salamence and Typhlosion let out booming roars to celebrate their victory, firing off Flamethrowers into the sky.

Hilda lets out a deep sigh as recalls her Emboar and Beartic, mewling, “My win streak just ended. So much for that.” Hilda winces, dropping her chin as she squeezes her eyes shut. As rude as he was, Hilda can't deny that she's been humbled by Valen.

“Huh, I just realized that Rosa actually called it.” Valen rapidly blinks in astonishment as he recalls his Salamence and Typhlosion. “Cool.”

“I didn't realize Valen....would be so strong.” Hilda's demeanor goes from sadness to shock, shrieking, “Aieeeeeeee! Rosa was right; he did mop the floor with meeeee! I should have believed her, then my win streak wouldn’t have ended!”

“Mhm, I knew I was right,” Rosa proudly murmurs to herself, her eyes closed as she nods. “Good job, my sweetie. I'm confident that one day, you'll fully accept your own strength once again. The lovely queen’s beyond proud of her handsome knight, as per usual.”

Brendan's eyes widen in amazement. While all four Pokémon were about evenly matched for most of the battle, he's stunned that Valen came from behind and ruthlessly trounced Hilda towards the end of the battle, most notably with the triple use of Iron Tail. “Oh man, This dude doesn't play around!”

While Leaf's happy that Valen won, she backs up a few feet with her right hand over her gaping jaw. “W-Woah, Valen’s no joke!” Leaf exclaims. _"Hilda's no pushover, but Valen gave Red and Blue a run for their money!"_

“Did she really think Calvana didn’t have any trainers who could defeat her?” Calem murmurs in a sharp tone, smacking his face with his right palm. “Also, why didn’t she use her own dragon?”

As Hilda calms herself down, a prideful Rosa strolls up to her. “Soooo, any thoughts?”

Hilda slightly frowns as she answer Rosa's question. “Well, he’s not very sociable, is he?” Hilda questions, her eyebrows dropping downwards. “It seems like he's only nice to you. The reason why he’s so nice to you is pretty obvious, though.”

“Y-Yeah, w-we’re working on that,” Rosa sheepishly admits with an embarrassed smile. _“I've come to understand why Valen doesn’t like socializing, and why he’s so distrustful. I’ll keep that a secret unless it’s necessary to say it for his own well being.”_

“You know, I don’t remember him being this intimidating or rude.” Calem frowns in displeasure. Calem’s very puzzled as to what happened to Valen. Beyond knowing that Valen was deployed to Orre, he knows little to nothing else.

Valen snorts at both Hilda and Calem. “As if I care.”

Then, Hilda's mouth curves into an amused smile. “However, he seems to show respect as a fellow trainer. I find it odd that he doesn't acknowledge his strength outside of battle, though.”

“Yeah, he...he lied about his wins to me,” Rosa sheepishly admits, sporting an embarrassed smile.

Hilda moves her head closer to Rosa's left ear, whispering, “I'd like to learn more about him.”

Rosa nods her head in response to Hilda's request. “He's not a bad person,” Rosa whispers back. “He's had it really rough.”

“Hey, not everybody sees me the same way,” Valen tells Rosa with a smirk, sauntering away from the conversation. “Besides, the last time I won the league was five years ago. I don’t think it’s that impressive nowadays.”

Hilda feels like an Electric-type just used Thunderbolt on her, as she's that jolted upon hearing Valen utter these words. _“Wait, five years ago?! That's when The Black Reaper vanished without a trace! Is he The Black Reaper?”_

Leaf's also stunned by Valen’s words, her eyes having widened. _“Five years? That’s when the reaper vanished, so is Valen-”_

“Leaf, it looks like you realized that it’s not a big deal.” Valen’s remark snaps Leaf out of her train of thought, enormously irate that Valen still won’t acknowledge that his wins are impressive.

“Hey, yes it is!” Leaf exclaims, folding her arms and pouting in annoyance. _"Why's he so negative about himself?!"_

“Don’t nag me,” Valen retorts.

“Hmph, I will become your friend, Mr. Meanie!” Leaf proclaims, her eyebrows pulling together and down as she fixates an annoyed glare at Valen.

Valen snorts, saying, “Good luck.” Then, Valen decides to be friendlier, his mouth curving into a faint smile.

Brendan sees this as his chance to mess with Leaf, and his mouth curves into a devious grin once again. “Watch out, Valen. You need to be careful too, Arthur!”

“Watch out?” Valen asks.

“I beg your pardon?” Arthur piques up.

Brendan throws his hands up and shrugging his shoulders, acting innocent while using his body language to say “hold up” as he prepares to mess with Leaf again. Brendan fakes a stern expression, stating, “Listen homies, I’m just telling you what I know from my own personal experience with Leaf as Hoenn’s number one hustler, alright?” Leaf gives Brendan a dirty eye, preparing to slap him in the face with her left hand. “Now, I ain’t saying Leaf a gold digger, but she ain’t messing with no broke trainer-“ Brendan’s cut himself off as he ducks a slap by an embarrassed Leaf, much to Valen and Arthur’s bewilderment. “Too slow, hahahahahaha!”

Leaf pouts again, turning away from Brendan with her eyes closed and her arms folded. “You got lucky!”

Brendan’s mouth curving into a triumphant grin. “Heh heh heh, you'll never get me.”

The only person to find Brendan funny is Valen, as his bewilderment turns into laughter. “Nice one!” Valen exclaims with booming laughter. Everybody except Brendan's shocked by the fact that either Valen's laughing again, somebody found Brendan funny, or both.

Valen’s laughter causes Brendan to close his eyes and let out a more boisterous laugh, stating, “I see that you’re man of culture as well, Valen!”

Leaf pouts as she places her hands on her hips. “This is unacceptable! I have to save Mr. Meanie from Brendan, who's Big Super Dummy Meanie!”

A startled Melanie backs up a few feet, asking, “Is he actually laughing for the second time in one day?!”

A still amused Valen walks over to Brendan and the two give each other a fist bump. “You’re a funny guy.”

“Thanks, dawg!” Brendan grins.

Leaf jumps up and down, wailing, “Valen, noooooooooo!”

Valen looks at Leaf with a devious smirk. “Valen, yeeeeeesss.”

“It should have been a big giveaway that Brendan is a bad influence!” Leaf chides. "Don't be a dummy, Mr. Meanie! Be a smart meanie!"

Valen’s grin becomes even more devious, realizing he can drop his favorite joke on another person. “How big?”

Rosa freaks out, because she knows exactly what Valen is trying to do. “Leaf, don’t reply! It’s a trap so Valen can-”

“A really big one!” Leaf extends her arms upwards, motioning her hands outwards.

“That’s what she said.” Valen says with a mischievous grin, causing Brendan to laugh out loud.

“Heeey, make appropriate jokes towards innocent girls!” Leaf and Rosa shout at the same time while pouting, while Melanie tries to contain her laughter.

Valen decides to turn his attention back to Hilda who’s deep in thought. “Hey, thanks for a fun battle.”

Valen’s words snaps Hilda out of her train of thought, and she looks a little embarrassed that she got this distracted. “O-Oh, I’m s-sorry! I got lost in my train of thought! I still can’t believe that you waited until the last second to strike with Iron Tail! That was soooo clever!”

Valen shrugs his shoulders, stating, “Admittedly, that tactic can only work once before other trainers catch on. However, you never know when I'll pull something out of my ass.”

“In any case, that battle was sooo much fun! You’re super strong!” Hilda clasps her hands next to her left cheek. “You better ease up on the rudeness, because I'm going to become your friend!”

Valen's eyes widen, his mouth falling open as he jerks his head back. “Huh?! W-What?!”

"You heard me!" Hilda repeats. "I'll be seeing you soon!”

Valen isn't sure how to reply, so he gives Hilda a subtle thumbs up and leaves it at that. _“....I thought being indifferent and rude would have the opposite effect....yet she still wants to be my friend?”_

“You can't run forever, Valen,” Hilda murmurs, sporting a compassionate smile. “Your cynical views....I'm going to knock them right out of the park.”

Valen walks up to Rosa with a warm, adoring smile, standing behind her and placing his arms around her waist, pulling her as close to him as possible. “Hi, you adorable pain in my ass. Here’s your reward for calling the battle.” Valen kisses Rosa on the top of her head, causing her to blush.

Rosa's mouth curves into a wide smile, happily closing her eyes. Rosa basks in the warm feeling of Valen’s arms around her waists like she's in a sauna. For a moment, Rosa feels completely calm and at ease, without a single thought flowing through her mind. Meanwhile, Melanie, Hilda and Leaf are charmed by how sweet Valen is towards Rosa, as evident by their gleaming eyes. Brendan’s jealous that Valen’s got a girlfriend, Arthur's trying to figure out why Valen's got two completely different sides to him, and Calem's got a faint smile as he recalls that these two were together in the past.

Then, Valen’s adoring smile turns into a mischievous grin. “It’s also payback time,” Valen tells Rosa as he slightly lifts up the bottom of her top. Rosa’s got a nervous, tight lipped smile, because she knows what’s coming. Valen surprises everybody else when his warm, sweet embrace of Rosa turns into a merciless tickling session, causing Rosa to cry with laughter.

“Hahahahahahahahahahaha, V-Valen, stop! Not in front of these four!”

Valen has a wide grin on his face, snickering as he plays with Rosa by using the middle and index fingers on both hands to tickle her around the waist. “This is payback for getting me flustered in front of Melanie and Arthur, you adorable pain in my ass!”

“Hahahahahahahahaha, h-have mercy on meeee! Hahahahahahahahaha!”

“Nope, Valen’s showing no mercy!”

“Hahahahahaha! Y-You’re so bad, and I love it! Hahahahahahaha!”

While everyone is amused by Valen’s behavior, Leaf becomes even more captivated by these two, jumping in the air with excitement. “Yes, there’s the one hundred percent sweet side of Valey that I wanted to see!”

Hilda’s so charmed by this playful sight that she actually stops wondering if Valen could be The Black Reaper. “I need to forget about the coolest and most dashing trainer EVER for now, because these two are just sooooo adorable together!”

Valen stops tickling Rosa, stating, “I’m the badass one, not the adorable one.” Valen and Rosa let go of each other, and the duo exchange a quick embrace.

Rosa giggles, stating, “Yeeeep, I’m the cutie, and he’s the coolie!”

Hilda’s eyes widen as it finally hits her that Valen's the person that she’s been hoping to run into within Calvana, and her mouth curves into a broad grin as she’s extremely ecstatic, thinking, _“He is The Black Reaper! Oh my gooooosh, it's actually him!"_

Valen walks away from Rosa and Hilda, stating, “Anyway, I guess I’ll be going-“

"Kyaaaaaaa! There’s no way! It’s you, it’s actually you!” Hilda gushes with her eyes closed, cutting Valen off as he starts to sweat nervously. “I actually got to meet you!”

Leaf joins Hilda in her gushing over The Black Reaper, stating, "When he said that his last win was five years ago, that’s when I started to wonder if he was The Black Reaper!”

As he continues to sweat, Valen’s eyes widen even further, as he clenches his teeth out of nervousness. Valen realizes that when he said his last league win was five years ago, it was a dead giveaway. “I just had to open my big mouth!”

“Uh oh, this isn’t good news for Valen," Melanie remarks.

Calem groans, remarking, “Oh boy, I better back Valen up.”

Valen begins crying out for Rosa, even though she’s already close by. “Rosa, help me! I need Super Rosa to save me! Rosa, help meeeeee!”

Rosa's about to go into fangirl mode when she hears Valen crying out to her. “O-oh no, my sweetie’s in danger! The queen’s coming to save yoooou, my knight!”

“This is so cool! This is so cool! This is sooooo coooooool! Kyaaaaaaaaa!” Hilda jumps side to side in jubilation, her eyes sparkling as she places her hands on her cheeks. “I got to meet and battle The Black Reaper! I still have all my old posters of you! I was your biggest fan! You were such a rebellious bad boy which was soooo alluring to meeee, but you also seemed really respectful and nice to everybody too! Who cares if you’re rude now, because I’m sooo happy that I got to meet you!”

Leaf's equally as Hilda, her eyes sparkling as she clasps her hands in front of her face. “I can’t believe Mr. Meanie was that cool, dashing trainer! I was his biggest fan in Kanto, and I still have footage of a number of his battles!”

“Leaf, please share some of those with me!”

“Only if you share some posters with me!”

“Deal!” Hilda exclaims.

“Yaaaaay!” Leaf shouts.

A wide-eyed Valen becomes even more nervous, his right eye twitching as he sweats profusely. _“Mommy, help me...two fangirls that aren’t the best girl ever or the second best girl ever have identified me as The Black Reaper.”_

Rosa jumps in front of Valen, confidently proclaiming, “I’ll protect you, my sweetie! Super Rosa is here to save the day!”

Calem turns to Hilda, asking, "How’d you even figure that out?"

Hilda laughs triumphantly grinning as she places her hands on her hips. “The Black Reaper vanished five years ago, which is also the last time Valen won the league, and The Black Reaper won the league five years ago! Also, Valen won this region’s three times, which is exactly the same number of the times The Black Reaper won! It could have been any three years, but him mentioning five years was what made be realize that Valen’s the reaper! This is soooo amazing!”

“Once again, me and my big mouth!” Valen shrieks. “ _This doesn't even make any sense! I was a jerk to her, and now she's acting like a loony fangirl!”_

Rosa fixates a displeasing glare at Hilda, angrily stating, “I’m his number one fan!”

Hilda closes her eyes as she howls with laughter at Rosa. Hilda gives Rosa a dismissive hand gesture, saying, “Pffft, girl pleaseeeeeee! You’re sooooo totally not his biggest fan!” Hilda’s laughing becomes louder, causing Rosa to hiss at her like she’s a Seviper and Hilda’s a Zangoose. “I was the president of his Unova fan club! I know almost everything there is to know about him! While he’s antisocial and rude, he’s sooo cool, just like The Black Reaper! Oh, and his Salamence! His awesome Salamence was one of his main methods of transportation!”

Rosa becomes cocky, folding her arms and murmuring, “If you’re his number one fan, then how come he’s my boyfriend? Let’s not forget that I’m both cuter and prettier than you.”

Valen is on the verge of completely losing it, thinking, _“What the hell is any of this?! Not even Rosa picked up on any of this, and she knows my full name!”_

“Don’t forget the tuxedo and sunglasses! He was so cool and dashing when he wore those!” Leaf ecstatically chimes in.

“Coming to this region is the best decision we’ve ever made! Thank you so much, Rosa! Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaa!” As Hilda and Leaf gush at the same time, Melanie’s face reddens while she desperately tries to keep her inner fangirl dormant. She wants to be the voice of reason that her childhood friend desperately needs.

Rosa can’t help herself and ends up joining in, gushing, “For me, the best part is that The Black Reaper had and still has a crush on meeeee, despite being his girlfriend! He loves me that much! Kyaaaaa!”

With Rosa, Hilda and Leaf distracting everybody else, an enormously nervous, uncomfortable, and wide-eyed Valen pretends to be calm and indifferent by placing his hands in his pockets. Nevertheless, Valen sweats profusely as he scurries away from everybody. _"How does Hilda know all of this?! What the hell is going on here?! Arthur’s got an accent, and I've heard girls like accents, so why can't they swoon over Arthur instead?!”_

With Hilda and Leaf turning their attention towards the others, Rosa happens to take a quick glance in Valen's direction. Rosa secretly giggles to herself over the fact that Valen is already trying get away, scurrying away as fast as he can on the cobblestone sidewalk. Rosa glances back and sees everybody is still distracted. Thus, a smirking Rosa also decides to beat a hasty retreat so she can have more alone time with him.

Brendan looks a little disheartened, asking, “Yo, why doesn’t anybody tell me anything? The Black Reaper was a famous name?”

“The bloke is proficient at maintaining his secrecy,” Arthur chimes in. “It’s quite remarkable and perplexing how such a prominent trainer can shroud himself with a substantial degree.”

Brenda sighs as he glances to his northwest to look at Arthur, remarking, “Yo, why can’t Arthur use more commonly used words?”

Arthur hears this and loses it, scolding, “Oi, don’t question my vocabulary, you wanker! I don’t follow such rubbish lie that, unless I deem it proper! Sir Maximilian Arthur Reginald Bennington the Third has got an extensive vocabulary and it will be treated with the upmost respect!” Arthur's eyes widen in shock as he realizes he accidentally said his full name, but nobody but a very confused Brendan notices.

“Why do you go by Arthur?”

“So I can abstain from presenting myself as a posh tosser!”

Brendan turns his attention to the fact that Valen has fangirls. “Hm, maybe I should ask Valen how to become a better player? Nah, homeboy thinks that Leaf and Hilda going to steer clear of him, but then again-“ Brendan closes his eyes and blushes with a strong sense of pride. “All the ladies will be singing ‘Brendan, Brendan, Brendan, can’t you see? Sometimes your battles just hypnotize me!”

Melanie finally notices that Valen and Rosa are gone, and rapidly looks around in confusion and shock. “H-Hey, where in the world did Valen and Rosa run off to?!”

* * *

As the two of them are about to walk up the front steps, Rosa notices that Valen's been faintly laughing about something. 

"Uh, what's so funny?" Rosa blinks in confusion.

“I’ll just hide from everybody, then I’ll have no fangirl problems!” Valen boisterously laughs.

“W-What?! E-Even me?!” Rosa’s eyes widen as she places her left hand over her gaping mouth.

“Yep,” Valen replies, sporting a devious grin.

“O-Oh no, n-now I’m gonna be unable to find you!” Rosa jumps backwards a few feet. Rosa jumps up and down, panicking over how she’s going to find someone who’s really good at hiding.

“Hahahahahahahahahahaha, Yami Valen’s back!” Valen’s now sporting a fake evil grin.

“Nooooooooooooooooooo, I’ll save you!” Rosa wails

“I’m just kidding. You’re the exception.” Rosa calms down upon hearing these words, and after seeing Valen give her an adoring gaze.

An overjoyed Rosa decides to test Valen for the sake of being playful. “Sooo, what happens if you eventually get over your fears, and Leaf and/or Hilda asks you if you love them? Or, what if any girl asks you if you love them?

“Hmph, do you actually think anyone can top you?” Valen faintly laughs. “You’re sill the perfect blend of cute and pretty.”

“Tee-hee, you’re sooooo sweet!" Rosa gushes.

Valen bows his head, poking two fingers together. “Soooo, I guess you’re staying with me until further notice?”

Rosa sighs, sporting an affectionate smile. “You idiot, why must you make it so hard for me to fully go back to my place? The first day I went back, I already started to miss you sooo much, and that feeling kept growing!” Then, Rosa’s face reddens in embarrassment. “I called your name five times before I realized that this was my place! Oh my gooooosh, I’m glad nobody else saw that!”

A blushing Valen looks away from Rosa, sporting an embarrassed smile on his face. Valen’s still poking two fingers together, trying to figure out how to respond. “Oh....uh....sorry....I d-dun-dunno what to do about that.”

With an adoring gaze and a coy smile, Rosa gently and playfully smacks Valen on his left cheek, stating, “You idiot, it’s so obvious what you want to ask me!”

A blushing, wide-eyed Valen loses it once again, exclaiming, “L-Lo-Look at yourself the next time you’re near a mirror, and then tell me how I’m supposed to muster up the courage when you’re so v-viva-vivacious, a-ado-adorable, and g-g-go-gorgeous? If that’s not enough, that innocent and adorable smile of yours is just too perfect! Why do you make me so weak and not badass?!”

”Tee-hee, behind every charming, badass king’s a lovely, cutie queen!” Rosa giggles, giving Valen a flirtatious wink.

Valen takes a deep breath to regain his composure. "I thought you were Battle Queen Rosa, my adorable cinnamon bun," Valen replies, smiling proudly. "I need to correct an error, because you're actually the perfect blend of cute, pretty, and badass."

Rosa jumps up and down in delight. “Kyaaaaa, you’re too much for me to handle. Roar, it’s time for Rosa’s relentless Sweet Kisses!” Rosa tackles Valen, and ends up sending both of them crashing through Valen’s front door. Rosa closes Valen's front door and begins “attacking” Valen by "mercilessly" kissing him on the lips.

“Why’d you pin me against the floor?” Valen asks.

“There’s no escaping meeee!” Rosa giggles.

“Whatever, goodnight.” Valen closes his eyes to take a nap, which is now his main way of dealing with situations where Rosa refuses to let him get back up on his feet.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rosa’s a very imaginative girl, but Hilda's imaginative as well, isn’t she? Valen's still antisocial, but his interactions with Rosa are going to have a lasting impact on Rosa's circle of friends.
> 
> Thoughts on the battle? Thoughts about Valen’s past persona based on the fangirl reactions? Which canon character's your favorite as of this chapter?
> 
> Revisions include cuts, extended dialogue, dialogue alterations, and added details.


	16. Looks Can Be Deceiving

It’s been four days since his double battle with Hilda, and while Valen has tried to calm down, he still doesn’t like the situation he’s currently in. Thus, Valen has been laying low, hiding from everybody but Rosa. However, there’s another reason why he’s been hiding. Rosa will find that out later today—Valen has another very special surprise for her.

It’s early morning, and Rosa decides that Valen needs to wake up early. As Rosa’s about to open Valen’s door, she suddenly halts, her gleeful smile turns into a gloomy frown. Rosa clenches her teeth, feeling like somebody just put a bunch of heavy weights on her. Rosa shuts her eyes as she places her right hand over her tightening ribs. Deep down, the punch to the gut Rosa experienced when she both heard and saw the true extent of Valen’s despair, bitterness, and coldness is far from being healed. As she remembers the most horrific aspect, Rosa places her left hand over her hurt heart. The last time Rosa spoke to Valen before he became distant could have been the last time she ever heard his voice. The last time Valen was in Unova could have the been the last time she hugged and kissed him. The last time she told Valen she loved him could have been the last time she ever got to tell him that. This didn’t break Rosa’s heart—this shattered Rosa's heart into hundreds upon hundreds of small fragments.

As her eyes become moist, Rosa clenches her teeth, channeling all of her inner strength to fight back a storm surge of tears. While Rosa's yet to mention this to anybody, she’s decided that she'll permanently move to the Calvana region, regardless if her dreams become reality or not. Rosa’s eyes beam with a fiery determination, as she’s determined to fix what she believes she did wrong, no matter how long it takes. Valen will never fall into such a state of despair ever again, not if she can help it. Rosa’s done running from the darkness. Rosa wants to be the valiant angel who vanquishes the darkness.

Rosa takes several long, deep breathes to calm herself down, trying her hardest to cheer up. Rosa firmly believes that Valen doesn’t need more gloominess in his life, especially not from her. Slowly, Valen’s black wooden door creaks open. Rosa reverts back to her usual self, giggling upon seeing that Valen’s awake, but refuses to get out of bed for some unknown reason. “Get out of bed, Valey sweetie!” Rosa cheerfully says as she cruises into Valen’s room. “Tee-hee, Rosa commands you to get up!”

“No,” Valen retorts, yawning so loudly that someone might mistake him for a Slaking. “Make all the other fangirls shoo first, otherwise I’m gonna stay in bed for as long as reasonably possible.”

“Roar, Rosa will use Body Slam to make Valey sweetie get up!” Rosa giggles again as she rushes up to Valen's bed, removes the large, gunmetal gray blanket over him, and playfully jumps onto both the bed and Valen as hard as she can.

An unfazed Valen gives Rosa a soft, playful smile, stating, “You make a good blanket.”

“Tee-hee, you’re so funny!” Then, Rosa leans her forehead up against Valen's forehead, placing her right thumb on Valen's chin as she kisses him on the lips. Rosa gives Valen a seductive smile, gigging at his reddening face. “However, by refusing to get out of bed, you’ve been a very naughty boooy. I’m not happy about that.” A nervous Valen breaks eye contact and stares downwards at Rosa’s black leggings, only for him to jerk his head to his left. Rosa places both of her hands on Valen’s cheeks and turns his head towards her. “There’s no escaping Rosa, my sweetie. Feel the wrath of my cuteness.”

Valen regains his composure, deviously grinning upon realizing how can he turn the tables on Rosa, playfully warning, “You're barking up the wrong tree.”

“E-Eep!” Rosa begins to sweat nervously. "I was j-just t-teasing! P-Please make appropriate jokes, t-thank you!"

A grinning Valen gets closer to Rosa's right ear, seductively whispering, “It's your boy, Valen. He can be a very bad boy-” Valen gives Rosa a kiss on the lips. “All. Night. Loooong.”

Rosa closes her eyes, her face fully reddening as she gets off of Valen's bed and starts jumping up and down. “EEEEEYYYAAAAAA! I surrender! I surrender! I surrender! I surrender! I’ll be Good Rosa, I promiseeeee! Have mercy on meeee, Valey! Have mercy on meeeeee! I’m an innocent girl! You don't say things like that towards innocent girls!"

Valen lets out a triumphant snicker, before deciding to use the self-proclaimed number one player in Hoenn to his advantage. “In any case, let’s see how good of a player Brendan really is by sending him to take Hilda and Leaf off my hands.”

Rosa reverts back to her jovial self, giggling at Valen's trickster ways, gushing, “Tee-hee, you’re soooo bad, and I love it!”

“Hmph, I’m not going to fall victim to what I have now dubbed the The Fangirl Apocalypse, so Brendan can have them all. You’re worth a thousand non-Rosa fangirls anyway.”

Rosa giggles, and gives Valen a kiss on the lips. “I’m going for a walk, but I’ll be back for my prescription, kaaay?” Rosa gives Valen a coy smile and a flirtatious wink.

“Prescription?” Valen asks as Rosa turns around, looking like she spun as fast as a moving car's wheel. A content Rosa hums to herself as she begins her undulated, sensual walk towards Valen’s door, which was left open. Valen stares in confusion over how Rosa is walking, but he prefers not to know why Rosa’s walking is so odd this time around.

“Yeeeep, I need my daily dose of Valey’s love and affection!” Rosa says as she’s about to walk out of sight, stopping to give Valen a broad grin as she clasps her hands next to her left cheek. “The doctor said that I have to take both of those medicines multiple times every daaay, kaaaay?”

As Rosa walks out of his room, Valen can’t help but blush over Rosa’s behavior, asking, “Why are you so adorable?”

“It’s cuz I’m Rosa, big booooy! Rosa’s the poster girl of adorable!” Rosa hollers back as she begins to dally down the stairs. “See you later, my Valey sweetie!”

“....Heh, she doesn’t even know that I’ve been rather busy—I’ve been tracking down something really special for her. Good thing I still have decent chunk of change from when I was The Black Reaper.” Valen’s mouth curves into an affectionate smile. “If it makes the best girl happy, then it’s worth every penny.”

* * *

It's now a sunny, early afternoon. Within Angel City’s bustling downtown, A confident and joyful Brendan strides down the concrete sidewalk. Brendan’s walking through an area with heavy foot traffic, as this is the area where a lot of resorts, hotels, five star restaurants, casinos, and clubs are, located meaning the tourist traffic is always high. As Brendan eyes all of the buildings he walks by as ponders how to be the center of attention, even though a few tourists from Hoenn are already pointing at him because he’s a three time Ever Grande Conference winner.

Then, Brendan grins to himself when he hits upon a good idea. Unfortunately, before Brendan can drop his freestyle, his phone rings. At first, Brendan grumbles in annoyance as he goes to check his phone. However, he grins when he sees that it’s Valen, and he picks up.

”Hey there, Valen!” Brendan happily exclaim through the phone.

“Sup, you want fangirls, don’t you?” Valen asks Brendan from the other end of the line.

“Hell yeah I do!” Brendan excitedly replies. “You gonna help Big B to make it rain on the girls?”

“I challenge you to take Leaf and Hilda off my hands.”

“That’s no problem for Big B, Hoenn’s number one player!”

* * *

A smug Brendan is still walking through the same area, and as he walks past a large café with plenty of outdoor seating, he hears Hilda and Leaf gushing over the fact that Valen is the The Black Reaper. Both girls are also ecstatic, as it’s been five years since Valen dumped his persona and covered his tracks so that he couldn't be identified.

“I still can’t believe that we actually got to meet The Black Reaper!” Brendan hears Hilda’s excited voice. “We even got to meet him outside of that persona of his!”

“I knoooow, right?! Kyaaaaaaa!” Brendan hears Leaf's ecstatic reply. A lot of people are paying attention to Hilda and Leaf’s loud, lively conversation, as many of them are stunned to hear that The Black Reaper appears to have resurfaced after five years.

Enormously confident that he can succeed in the challenge that Valen has given him, a grinning Brendan strides over to Hilda and Leaf. “Heeeey, ladies! The Black Reaper sent me as his replacement for you to gush over!” Brendan is unfazed by the fact that both Hilda and Leaf look like they're about to throw him into the giant dumpster that's behind the café, which Leaf might actually do one day since she happens to be Brendan's favorite target for just about everything from dirty jokes to pranks.

“Shoo! Out! Go away, Doctor Lame!” A pouting Hilda points to the sidewalk, giving Brendan an unimpressed, unrelenting stare.

“You’re sooooo not cool enough, you big dummy!” A frowning Leaf chimes in, sassily snapping her fingers like she's a magician trying to make Brendan poof away from her location. “In fact, you’re like negative fifty billion million on the coolness scale!”

Brendan cockily grins as he folds his arms, retorting, “I’m not going anywhere, and I accept your challenge!”

“First off, where’s your motorcycle, you peabrain?” Leaf chastises Brendan, unamused by his antics, or the fact he thinks he can match The Black Reaper.

“Yeah, where’s your badass, blacked out motorcycle, Professor Ignoramus?” Hilda chimes in, even more unamused by Brendan’s antics or attitude. Leaf giggles at Hilda’s remark, and the two proudly exchange a hi-five under the table.

Brendan starts to lose his cool over how brutally soul piercing these comments are. “Yo, chill out! I didn’t come here for a roast session! Also, what motorcycle?! Hilda, how and why do you know so much about this guy?! Do I need to report you to the police or something, you giant creep?!”

Brendan goes silent, sweating in terror as a scowling Hilda furrows her brow. “Hmph, you were physically present when I said that I was the president of his Unova fan club, Prince Dumbass!” Hilda stands up and places her hands on her hips, fixating an intimidating, overbearing glare at Brendan. Brendan steps back a few feet, slightly worried that Hilda’s about to charge at him. However, Hilda’s scowl is replaced by a gleeful grin, her angry glare turns into sparkling eyes, and her face slightly reddens as she places her hands on her cheeks. “So uh, yeah! I totally know what I’m talking about! He had this really cool motorcycle that he’d show up on! Then, he would toss his biker jacket into the air to reveal his trademark tuxedo that had images of scythes on it! He always look so cool and dashing!”

“Speaking of the tuxedo, I bet Commander Jellybean Brain doesn’t even have a cool tuxedo!” Leaf jabs with arched eyebrows, snickering as she points at Brendan’s black and red T-shirt.

Brendan starts to panic as these two girls are being merciless in their roasting session. _"What the hell is this?! I'm a battle rapper, yet these two girls keep handing me L after L after L!"_

“Hahahaha, look at this guy’s lame ass hat, or is it his lame ass hair?!” Hilda boisterously laughs, resulting in Brendan’s eyes bulging out as his mouth fully gapes open. “Whatever it is, King Simpleton looks like he once tried to cosplay as an Altaria but got kicked out for having the worst costume ever!”

“Who actually cares what it is? The Black Reaper’s sunglasses were so much cooler than anything than this poopy brain is wearing!” Leaf chimes in, cocking her eyebrows at Brendan as she snickers over his black and dark gray shorts. “Professor Poopy Brain’s clothes are sooooo lame as well. He should at least try to look cool and dashing!”

“I knooooow, right? He looked like a secret agent who’d rescue you from the main villain!” Hilda gushes, envisioning Valen as a badass spy that’s recusing her from the evil clutches of the evil Professor Brendan, complete with the tuxedo, sunglasses, motorcycle, and Salamence.

“Damn, these two girls are vicious loonies, and this is coming from a battle rapper,” Brendan murmurs to himself.

* * *

Valen’s finally decided to stop being lazy and go downstairs. Valen speaks to Brendan over the phone as he saunters down his dark brown, wooden staircase, which has an arch pattern on both rails just under the roundish, solid top of each railing.

“Man, I didn’t realize that those two girls could be so brutal," Brendan sheepishly tells Valen. “They roasted me so bad that I had to check if my Sceptile and Metagross took any super effective hits.”

Despite the fact that his odd plan failed, Valen remains calm. “Eh, at least you kinda tried.”

Fun and games aside, Brendan feels the need to give Valen some advice regarding Hilda and Leaf. “You know, looks can be deceiving. We may mess around a lot, but Hilda and Leaf are actually really nice,” Brendan explains. “Rosa’s our close friend as well, and we really do appreciate how well you seem to treat her. Thanks for being so kind to Rosa!"

Valen's mouth falls open, as nobody has ever thanked him for anything in a long time. Valen isn't sure how to respond, but he tries to anyway. "S-She...she more than deserves it.”

“Yo, at least consider giving Big B’s other two homegirls a chance,” Brendan requests. “They might seem crazy to you, but Calem and I feel like that they also want to be friends with Valen, the guy behind the fly as hell persona that they gush over.”

"Eh, I'll think about it," Valen replies halfheartedly. "Anyway, I'll see you around."

"Peace out!" Brendan exclaims, hanging up the phone.

As he puts his phone in his right pocket, Valen notices that Rosa's sitting on one of his snowy, white sofas. Rosa is having a video call with Hilda, Leaf, and Melanie. A smirking Valen uses this to his advantage, sneaking away into his large dining room as Rosa is distracted. Valen’s planning to surprise Rosa with his appearance, and he wants to discreetly place his present for her on the sofa.

“You’re still staying at Valen’s place?” Hilda asks with her eyebrows raised, surprised over the fact that Rosa hasn't fully gone back to her place.

“Yeah, but he doesn’t know that there’s more than one reason why I’m still staying with him," Rosa replies with a soft, gentle smile.

“What would that be?” Hilda asks.

Rosa's smile becomes more affectionate, her eyes gleaming with the deep love she’s had for Valen for the last four years. “I’m having lots of fun, but the first full day I spent here in Valen’s house was so special to me.”

“You talk about him a lot,” Hilda remarks with a warm smile. “He really means a lot to you."

“He means the world to me, Hilda," Rosa replies. “I was so overjoyed when he finally called again, and even more overjoyed when I saw him in person again.”

"Thanks for being there for this doofus," Melanie tells Rosa, smiling in gratitude. "It's nice to see Valen being genuinely happy again.”

“Melanie, I’ve recalled that you two treat each other like siblings,” Rosa says. “Am I right?”

Melanie affectionately smiles, thinking about her longtime friend as she closes her eyes. “We treat each other as the sibling we’ve never had,” Melanie explains. “All I’ve wanted from him is to be happy again, because I hate to see him suffer too. Thankfully, you’ve been doing a good job at making that big dunce a happier person.”

Rosa's smile becomes more faint as she bows her head down, her eyes becoming moist. “Seeing Valen hurt, or hearing that he’s hurt, is so heartbreaking to me.” Rosa’s still beating herself up over her belief that she had failed Valen.

“He may be rude to everybody else, but when it comes to you, it’s like he switches personalities,” Leaf says with a gentle smile. “He’s both Mr. Meanie and Mr. Sweetie at the same time.”

“Valen feels abandoned,” Melanie sadly admits. “I get the feeling he’s going to remain rude to everybody except Rosa until those feelings are proven wrong, but that’s going to be an enormous undertaking.”

”Abandonment, huh?” Hilda places her right thumb and index finger on her chin. "There’s definitely more to this.”

Leaf sighs, saying, “I think the Valen we’re seeing is not the real Valen.”

”I agree,” Hilda replies. “He’s proven that he’s not a bad person.”

”The real Valen lies behind that hardened exterior he’s developed.” Melanie adds.

“...He wants me to focus on my dreams, but I can't focus on my dreams when he's suffering so much," Rosa says, frowning while on the verge of tears. However, Rosa's able to keep herself composed by reminding herself that she’s got to be happy and cheerful, at least for Valen's sake. “In addition to those dreams, I came to this region to see him again. After learning just how much the poor guy's been suffering, I don’t think I can leave him behind and return to Unova."

“Huh, you’ve actually thought about going back to Unova?” Hilda's eyebrows jump upwards.

“No, but I ran into a big problem not too long ago, and I lied about going back to Unova to attempt to protect him. He was badly hurt to the point where he thought that I didn’t love him anymore. If that managed to hurt him, imagine what actually going back to Unova would do to him.” Rosa can’t hold back her tears anymore. Rosa shuts her eyes, placing her left hand over her hurt heart. “Hilda, I can’t....I can’t go back to Unova. Even if I don't achieve my dreams, I have to stay here. I’m sorry, but I can’t leave him behind. He’s been through enough loneliness and pain. He needs me...and I need him.”

“Do what your heart and mind tells you, Rosa.” Hilda gives Rosa an approving smile, trying to cheer her up. “No matter what you choose to do, I’ll always be your friend. Maybe Leaf and I can help Melanie and you out one day regarding Valen.” Secretly, Hilda’s become saddened herself. She may not know any details about what happened to Valen, but she can hear the pain and sorrow emitting from Rosa’s voice.

Rosa wipes away her tears, her frown turning into a sad smile. "Thanks, Hilda.”

“He’s a nice person deep down! Both Hilda and I saw it with our own eyes!” Leaf gleefully points out, also hoping to cheer Rosa up. However, Leaf can also hear the pain and sorrow emitting from Rosa’s voice. Hilda and Leaf look at each other, nodding their heads at the same time. Valen's now in the circle, whether he accepts it or not. 

“It was really wholesome to see how he interacted with you,” Hilda admits with a soft smile. "I'll become his newest friend. Just you wait." 

“Skyla genuinely misses him as well,” Rosa admits. “They got along very well. I feel bad for her, but I believe in Valen. He’ll reach out to her eventually.”

”Rosa, you need to go back to your usual self,” Melanie encourages Rosa, also trying to cheer her up. “Do it for Valen’s sake, alright?”

Upon hearing Melanie's encouraging words, Rosa feels like a light switch was turned on within her. Rosa reverts back to her usual self, proclaiming, “Rosa’s baaaack!”

“Hey, we’re still here!” Hilda exclaims. “Valen can’t ditch Leaf and I so easily!”

“Hee hee, Mr. Meanie can run but Dr. Sweetie can’t hide forever!” Leaf giggles.

Now that Rosa has reverted back to her usual self, Melanie’s decided to change the topic. Melanie’s mouth curves into a wide grin, her eyes sparkling as her inner fangirl fully takes over. “As The Black Reaper, he was soooo badass and alluring!”

Rosa closes her eyes and places her hands on her cheeks, gushing, “Oh my gooooosh, you should have seen Valen on the day he approached me, and that was years before I knew he was The Black Reaper! I still can’t believe my sweetie’s The Black Reaper! Kyaaaaaaa!”

“Can you imagine if he actually came as The Black Reaper when hanging out with any of us?!” A gushing Hilda envisions Valen as The Black Reaper picking her up on his motorcycle.

“Imagine if he said his cool line in front of all four of us!” Leaf excitedly chimes in.

“I can’t believe that somebody so cool is my childhood friend!” Melanie squeals.

”It seems you’ve fully switched to the dark side, Melanie,” Valen remarks, having snuck behind Rosa while the four girls were gushing. Valen's got both hands in his pockets as usual and the sofa obscures the view, so nobody realizes that he actually has a thank you present for Rosa in his right pocket.

“Hiiiii, Valey!” Rosa gives Valen a playful wink.

“Hiii, Mr. Meanie!” Leaf giggles.

“Hey there, Valen!" Melanie gives Valen a bright smile.

Valen pretends to be disinterested to hide the real reason why he showed up. “Hi. Bye.”

“Heeeey, welcome to the formation of your new fan club!” Hilda excitedly proclaims.

Hilda's words send Valen into a flustered frenzy. “You’ve got to be kidding me?! You four are forming a fan club?! What the hell's going on here?! Why me?!"

"You brought it upon yourself!" Hilda teases.

“We’re gonna calling ourselves the Valey Girls!” Rosa gives Valen another playful wink.

Valen groans, deciding to change the subject so he can put his plan into action. “Moving on, I finally figured out why Melanie is still single," Valen states, planning to use this as a distraction to sneakily place his present for Rosa next to her.

“H-Huh?!” Melanie's eyes widen, her face beginning to redden. "W-Where did this come from?!"

Valen snickers at Melanie, asking, “You’re still one of those fangirls from my past, aren’t you? The ones who’d want to be in Rosa’s place if they knew about our relationship?”

By this point, Melanie's face has fully reddened and she starts to freak out, screaming, “I don’t know what you’re talking about! I d-definitely never had a s-secret s-s-shrine either!” Melanie immediately places her right hand over her mouth, but she realizes it's too late as the other three girls have amused smiles on their faces, while Valen's smile is more devious.

“I never asked about a shrine, you creep.” Valen discreetly places a small, glossy black box next to Rosa, affectionately smiling at her. _"I heard everything that Rosa said. Seven thousand dollars for a rare piece of Pokémon memorabilia means nothing to me, because Rosa's priceless.”_

“Ooooh, you really do wanna be meeee!” Rosa playfully teases Melanie.

“Hee hee, she just got caught red handed!" Leaf giggles.

A snickering Hilda closes her eyes and waves a dismissive hand gesture at Melanie. “Girl, you’re sooooo totally busted!”

“L-Look what you did, you doofus! I’m getting roasted!” Melanie howls at Valen, who yawns without a care in the world. Fortunately, Valen didn't bring up the time when she tried to write a self-insert romance novel that had his past persona in it. The intent was to keep it for herself, but if Valen ever remembers that, she's in for a blistering roasting session.

Then, a slight peek at his phone causes Valen to realize that he's missed calls from someone that he's been meaning to call himself, but keeps forgetting to do so. “I need to make a phone to call to somebody that I know, so bye.”

“Oooh, tell me their name!” Rosa exclaims.

“Tell us who they are!” Hilda joins Rosa, eager to know who this mystery friend is.

“I’m not telling.” Valen smirks.

“He’s sooooo mysterious! Kyaaaaa!” Rosa, Hilda, Leaf, and Melanie squeal.

"No! I need to be the calm one!" Melanie yelps.

 _“The behavior of of the three non-Rosa ding dongs makes my brain hurt!”_ A wide-eyed Valen muses to himself.

* * *

Back in his room, Valen goes to sit on his bed as he calls the same number back. After a few minutes, somebody picks up. ”Sup, Silver?” Valen’s got a faint smile on his face. 'It's your boy, Valen."

”Took you long enough. The plane landed over half an hour ago.” Silver groans.

“Sorry, I had to run away from a trio of loony fangirls," Valen replies, letting out a sigh.

“I’ll make sure Kris doesn’t find out that you’re The Black Reaper in order to save what’s left of your sanity,” Silver jokes.

Valen blinks in confusion, asking, “Who’s Kris?”

“Right, I forgot that you haven’t met her yet,” Silver replies. “She’s a nice, well intentioned girl that also happens to be the biggest pain in the ass you’ll ever meet because she never stops talking about fashion and shopping.

”So, is she your friend or-“

“She’s my friend, but feel free to call her annoying, a halfwit, a blabbermouth, an ignoramus, and so on.”

Valen faintly laughs, noting, “You seem rather irate about this girl.”

“That’s because she decided that she’s coming with me, whether I want her to or not. Also, she has literally spent the entire last hour trying to decide how many clothes and accessories she should buy while visiting Calvana, on top of some fashion shit that I could care less about. She was saying all of it out loud while right next to me. She must have not noticed that I was trying to take a nap.”

“Are you still inside the airport? I hear a lot of commotion in the background, plus I also just heard a loud flight announcement.”

”Yep, because Queen Blabbermouth decided to check out as many shops as she can. I snuck away while she was in one of them. I should just leave the airport right now.”

Valen manages to prevent his laugher from becoming louder, asking, “Silver, how long will you and your friend be staying in this region?”

“I don’t know how long Kris will be staying here, but I’m permanently moving to your home region,” Silver replies. “I want to move far away from Johto and Kanto. All my belongings will be arriving within the next couple of days. Liniya Corporation helped me to get a small house and a bunch of furniture.”

Valen's eyes slightly widen in shock upon hearing this, as he thought Silver was just visiting. “R-Really?! You’re actually moving here?!”

“Valen, I've got more bad memories than good memories Kanto and Johto,” Silver replies, seething with rage as he thinks about his father. Sliver’s mind is flooded by a tidal wave of bad memories. Among them is a memory of himself at age ten, when he cried over being picked on by a group of older boys. Silver vividly remembers Giovanni’s short but harsh reply via phone call: "Man up."

Valen’s gone silent because he isn’t sure how to respond. Their familial backgrounds couldn't be any more different, even if they tried.

“I know you hate Team Rocket as much as I do, Valen,” Silver says to break the silence. Silver recalls that Giovanni allegedly wanted to sell Mewtwo off as a weapon of mass destruction, something that Valen’s also aware of. 

“....Do you remember Rosa?” Valen asks, trying to keep his own hatred of Team Rocket at bay.

“Of course I remember Rosa,” Silver replies. “She was the only person in Aspertia City who was genuinely friendly towards me at first.”

“She was manipulated into joining Team Rocket by a high ranking member.” Valen grimaces.

“What the fuck?!” Silver erupts. “Who the hell’s so despicable that they targeted somebody like her?!” Thanks to Valen, Silver's just remembered why he doesn't regret having his Pokémon attack Team Rocket members, and why he doesn't regret pulling a switchblade on Team Rocket members. 

"I can’t lead cases due to medical reasons, but my colleagues will succeed in bringing down the guy responsible for that," Valen replies.

Silver calms down, stating, "In any case, I’ve been meaning to thank you for what you did for me.”

“It’s the least I could do," Valen replies, proudly smiling over the fact that he could help Silver. While he's worked some cases, Valen’s main role within Interpol was and is helping people cover their tracks, such as undercover agents or witnesses. Valen's knack for this is what enabled him to go from Field Agent to the second rank, Supervisory Lieutenant Agent, rather quickly. 

“You helped me to sever all links to Team Rocket."

“Nobody deserves to be linked to Team Rocket when they had no involvement in any of their crimes.”

“I regret ever being cruel to Pokémon, because my Pokémon journey probably saved me from the life of a gangster, even though I liked to give Team Rocket a taste of their own medicine.” Silver laments, letting out a deep, pained sigh. “I was an asshole, a completely intolerable asshole. I treated Pokémon as mindless tools, I used to psychically pushed Kris aside all the time, I stole a Totodile from Elm, I stole this one guy’s Sneasel-“

“You changed your ways regarding Pokémon, Kris must have forgiven you if she decided to tag along,” Valen cuts Silver off, hoping to cheer him up. “Also, Professor Elm forgave you and let you keep that Pokémon, plus you decided to return the Sneasel.”

“...Moving on to the other reason I want to move to your home region, I want to test my strength as a Pokémon Trainer in a new region. Will you be my first opponent in Calvana?” He may have suddenly changed the topic, but Silver currently has a faint glimmer of gratitude towards Valen.

“You’re gonna kick my ass, but I’ll gladly accept your challenge.” Valen also has a faint glimmer of gratitude towards Silver for the exact same reason.

“Finally, something that’ll help me get away from that motormouth,” Silver grumbles. “Speaking of which, Kris wants to check out this area within Angel City called Old Downtown, so I’ll guess I’ll meet you there or something, assuming that I don’t run the hell away from her before you arrive.”

Valen laughs, replying, “Sounds good to me. I’ll see you soon.”

“Before you go, are there any clothing or accessory stores in that area?”

“Yep, there’s at least seven, plus various other shops and a bunch of restaurants.”

“Shit, Queen Blabbermouth is going to spend at least half of the damn day in those places!”

”If I recall, among them are a boutique that sells modern reproduction of Victoria era clothing, a fashion accessory shop that just got bought by Elesa to expand her global retail empire, and-“

“Yep, I’m ditching Queen Blabbermouth as soon as possible.”

“Heh, you’re welcome to chill with me.”

“‘I’ll take you up on that offer as soon as possible.”

* * *

As the video group chat continues. Hilda notices the glossy black box that Valen snuck next to Rosa before he strolled off “Hey, it looks like Valen left you something before he went back upstairs.”

Rosa glances to her right and notices the glossy black box, stating, “You’re right, Hilda.” Rosa carefully opens the box, curious to see what Valen had gotten her. “Let’s see what it is.”

Suddenly, Rosa becomes speechless for nearly a minute, causing Melanie, Hilda and Leaf to stare in confusion as to what's going on. Rosa raises her eyebrows as she keenly eyes the item within the box. Rosa’s jaw drops as she lets out a small gasp when she sees what Valen has gotten her as a gift. “N-No way...there’s no way...Valen actually remembered...this?”

As her dark blue eyes widen in astonishment, Rosa takes out what's inside the box: an dazzling, diamond line necklace with a enchanting, green emerald at the bottom that has a coiled up Serperior engraved on both sides. As the emerald sparkles like a starry night sky, Rosa’s hands begins to tremble slightly—she can't believe that this is actually happening. She can’t believe that she’s not only seeing this rare piece of jewelry right up close and personal with her own two eyes, but its hers, all hers. How, just how did Valen remember something this specific? Rosa’s mentioned this low production necklace to Valen on only two separate occasions within the several years that the two of them have known each other. Rosa’s wanted one for years, but she never imagined that she’d be able to own one of these. However, one example is now resting in the palm of her right hand, and euphoria's flowing within her.

“I...he....he remembered...something this specific about me,” Rosa murmurs as her voice trembles, her skin tingling all over her body as tears start to stream down her face. “....He’s too much....he’s too good to me.”

Once the other three girls notice what Rosa's holding, they aren't sure how to respond either. Hilda and Leaf stare with their mouths gaping open. As for Melanie, remembers that Valen won’t even go out and buy himself a comb to groom his disheveled hair, yet he just gifted Rosa a magnificent piece of jewelry that had to cost him a pretty penny.

After several more minutes of silence, Rosa lets out a scream of elation, which snaps the other three girls back into focus, A blushing Rosa closes her eyes, squealing, “He remembered! He remembered! He remembered! He remembered!”

Melanie stares and blinks in confusion, asking, "What exactly did Valen remember?"

“He remembered how much I really wanted this Serperior necklace!” Rosa begins jumping up and down in excitement. “They only made two hundred of these! My sweetie actually remembered that I wanted one of these years later! I can't believe he remembered something this specific!"

Hilda closes her eyes and clasps her hands next to her left cheek, gushing, “Woooow, it’s soooo pretty! Those, along with the Emboar and Samurott ones, were sold out within less than a week! You’re soooo lucky, Rosa!”

“He’s Dr. Sweetie, and his evil half is Mr. Meanie!” A grinning Leaf chimes in.

Rosa becomes even more elated when she takes a closer look on the cover, and sees **"The Black Reaper"** engraved in big, bold letters within the center of the box's lid. A pair of metallic silver scythes is engraved above and below the letters. “Kyaaaaaaa, it’s even one of the even rarer and more expensive boxes signed by The Black Reaper! That means I also got The Black Reaper’s autograph! Only twenty signed boxes of each were put into circulation!” Rosa begins jumping up and down in excitement, unleashing a scream so loud that she sounds like she just transformed into Brendan’s Exploud. Even Valen can hear the joyful scream from upstairs, albeit he decides to let Rosa come to him instead.

“Hey, Valen has never gotten me anything this expensive, and he's ever gotten me anything with his autograph on it!” Melanie folds her arms, pouting out of extreme jealously. “This is not fair! I’ve known him since we were seven!”

Rosa notices that Leaf is just as elated. “Leaf, can you imagine if The Black Reaper actually made those marriage fantasies of mine come true?! If he got me this as a present, imagine the kind of ring he’ll get me! Kyaaaaaaaaaaaa!” A blushing Rosa drools as she envisions Valen as The Black Reaper, complete with his scythe tuxedo and sunglasses, getting down on his right knee and proposing to her.

“You’d be the luckiest girl ever, Rosa!” Leaf squeals.

“Tee-hee, When it comes to my Valey sweetie, Rosa always wins in the end!” Rosa happily asserts. "Roar, Rosa's unbeatable!"

Hilda’s even more jealous of Rosa than Melanie is. Hilda's eyes bulge out in anger as she pouts, screaming, “Hey, I was the president of his Unova fan club! I should be getting something with his autograph on it, not you!”

“Valen's made his decision! You maaaad, sore loser Hilda? Tee-hee, Rosa’s tormenting yoooou!” A boisterously laughing Rosa sticks her tongue out at Hilda, taunting her by waving the signed box in full view of the screen. "I'm always going to win in Valey's book, silly Hilda!" Hilda’s eyes to blaze with anger while Leaf giggles, causing Hilda to shout at her. As for Melanie, her jealously turns into laughter over Hilda’s own jealously. Melanie's also delighted that her usually aloof friend's a different person towards Rosa. To her, that's a big step in the right direction.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope that I did a good job in conveying Rosa’s hidden turmoil. It won’t be the last time this happens. 
> 
> Were you laughing at the roasting of Brendan, or were you as shocked as he is? Did you get a good laugh over the huge fangirl within Melanie? 
> 
> The inclusion of Silver and Kris was inspired by another Pokémon writer on here called Blossomleaf, who wrote a short story starring Silver, Kris, and Ethan titled Uncovering Truths and Motives. I'm certain that's where I got the inspiration from. I recommend checking out that story out and The Broken Hourglass if you haven't. Blossomleaf is a superb writer, and the way they wrote/write Giovanni is phenomenal. 
> 
> The necklace scene is one of my favorites so far, if not my #1 favorite so far. It's meant to convey that Valen will go above and beyond for Rosa. It goes both ways, hence why Rosa wants to stay in Calvana.
> 
> Revisions include dialogue/text alterations, and added details.


	17. You Aren’t Alone, Valen

It's late morning, and Valen is sitting down on one of his snowy, white sofas. “I haven’t seen Silver in a while,” Valen says, sporting a faint smile. After putting on his black sneakers, Valen's about to get up, but he’s blocked by an extremely jovial Rosa. Rosa’s standing right in front of him so he can't get up. She’s not about to let Valen leave the house after he'd gotten her such a lovely, thoughtful gift.

Rosa's eyelashes flutter, her eyes glistening as she gives Valen a broad grin. Rosa places her hands on her hips, asking, “Where do you think you're going, big boooy?” Rosa flirtatiously asks. “Battle Queen Rosa’s got some unfinished business with yoooou. If you leave, you’ll be a naughty boooy. Is that what yoooou want, hmmmmmmm?”

Valen gives Rosa a friendly smile, replying, “I’m gonna go meet up with someone.”

“Ooooh, I’m gonna go meet up with someone too! She’s part of my circle!” Rosa bends downwards, resting her forehead on Valen's forehead as she gives him a flirtatious smile. Rosa places her right thumb on Valen’s chin, while wagging her left index finger. “With that said, you aren’t going anywhere just yet. Queen’s orders, big boy,” Rosa flirts. “Tee-hee, you know what you deserve from the queen, don't yoooou? I’m gonna grant you knighthood for the umpteenth timeeee!” A nervous Valen’s about to blush, but manages to maintain his composure when he sees that Rosa’s wearing the necklace he got her. Instead of becoming more nervous, Valen sports a pleased smile. Valen’s proud of himself that he managed to make the already cheerful Rosa even more jovial. After all that she’s done for him, it’s the least he could do.

Rosa wraps her arms around Valen's neck and kisses him on the lips multiple times. “I was soooo focused on the necklace and how amazing my sweetie is that I totally forgot to thank my amazing sweetie! Thank you sooooo much, Valen! I've wanted one of these for years!” Rosa lets go of Valen so he can stand up. However, Valen already knows that there’s only one reason why Rosa didn't pin him up against the sofa's headrest. Valen places his left hand on Rosa's back, pulling Rosa as close as possible towards him for his own embrace.

“Yaaaaay, you figured it out!” Rosa happily closes her eyes, soaking in the warm embrace of her beloved.

“I heard everything that you said yesterday, Rosa.” Valen glances downwards towards Rosa with a loving smile. “Between that and how much you care about me, you’ve more than earned yourself a nice gift from your boy.”

Rosa wraps her arms around the middle of Valen's waist, causing Valen to laugh loudly over her attempt to literally squeeze him with a hug. “You’re the best, sweetie!”

“Nah, you’re the best,” Valen softly compliments, kissing Rosa on the top of her head. “You're the best thing that's ever happened to me.”

“Noooooooo, Valey’s the best thing to happen to meeeee!” Rosa giggles. “Also, you need to tell me how you even remembered this, big boooy.”

“I dunno, but I’m your boy Valen. That means I'm so awesome that I just happened to remember it.” Valen sports a cocky, lopsided grin. “I went looking for one, and I ended up finding the rarer box variant.”

“Kyaaaaaaaaa! I love how you work in such mysterious ways!” A gushing Rosa closes her eyes as her face reddens. Rosa places her hands on her cheeks, jumping up and down as she imagines Valen and herself getting married, complete with a vintage limousine. “Please, become my husband! Oh my gooooosh, imagine if I actually became the wife of The Black Reaper himself! I still can’t believe that my two biggest crushes were the same person this entire time!” An ecstatic Rosa startles Valen with a squeal so loud that Valen’s Gardevoir uses Teleport to appear behind the sofa, wanting to see what's going on. Gardevoir folds her arms, her face sporting a menacing glare for a couple of seconds. Gardevoir’s thinking that she needs to keep somebody in line. However, Gardevoir becomes friendlier and her mouth curves into a warm smile. Gardevoir bursts out laughing over the wide-eyed expression of her trainer. Valen’s Gengar materializes from the ceiling, floating downwards as he laughs with Gardevoir.

* * *

It's a bustling early afternoon within Old Downtown. A scowling Silver broods to himself as he leans against the back of a chair within a outdoor seating area. Sitting across from where he’s standing is Kris, who's drooling over the aroma of the noodles she has. The round, wooden table’s got an umbrella sticking out within the middle, and has four seats. However, Kris has put three giant bags of items that she has bought on the other three seats, leaving Silver with no place to sit. In addition to that, Silver’s extremely irritated because he had to order the noodles for her while she went on what he considers a pointless shopping spree.

“Sooooo, you're waiting for a friend?” Kris happily asks Silver, snapping him out his train of thought. “Come on, tell me!”

Silver faintly scowls over his brooding session being interrupted, but he decides to answer Kris so she doesn't recite fifty pages of drama towards him like she’s starring in a theatre play. “Yeah, I am. What about you?”

“Yep, I’m also waiting for a few friends of my own!” Kris exclaims. “This area is so cool! Can you believe that so many of these building are sooo old?! This noodle shop has been in operation since 1875!”

“It’s nice to hear something that isn’t-”

“One of the clothing stores I went to has been in operation since 1872! Another one that I went to has been in operation since 1865!” Kris exclaims. “Ooooh, I heard there’s a shop in Angel City that’s been in operation since 1775!”

“Dammit Kris, I-”

“I even got to visit Nimbasa Fashion! We don’t have one of those in Johto! Elesa knows how to gather up the most stylish clothes and accessories from around the world!” Kris gushes. “Also, there’s one neighborhood with stores that date back to the 1700s! I gotta go check that out!”

While her smile would definitely be infectious to many other people, Kris trying to get Silver to smile like that would have the same level of success as using Double Kick on a Ghost-type Pokémon would have. Now even more annoyed over Kris’s fashion talk, Silver fixates a unamused glare at her. “Can you shut up for five minutes?” Silver chastises Kris, closing his eyes and groaning out of frustration as she giggles, completely undeterred by his attitude.

Silver ignores Kris by glancing around him at the surrounding area. Silver keenly studies all of the aged buildings with cone-shaped rooftops that dot both sides of the plaza walkway. _“Back in the Victorian era, I bet that Queen Blabbermouth would be seen as an ill mannered delinquent who never shuts up,”_ Silver mentally grumbles to himself. _“Bet they’d give her a good paddling or some shit like that.”_ Out of the corner of his eye, Silver notices Valen approaching him, causing the former to breathe a sigh of relief.

“It's your boy Valen,” Valen greets his old friend, noting that the area's a lot more packed than it was on the day when he reunited with Rosa in person.

“Finally,” Silver remarks with a faint smile. “I’m outta here, Kris.” Silver and Valen exchange a fist bump as the two of them start to stroll off.

“Okay, have fun with your friend!” Kris grins as she waves goodbye. “I’m gonna eat these yummy noodles while I wait for my friends!”

“She doesn’t seem that bad,” Valen remarks, glancing behind him towards Kris. “She’s kinda like another Rosa.”

“Rosa's basically Kris, minus the annoying part,” Silver answers. “Even I can’t help but feel a little happy around Rosa, but Kris makes me want to find a Deoxys and ask it to take me to its home planet.”

“That’s due to the the magic of best girl Rosa. It’s impossible to not feel at least a little bit happier when she’s around,” Valen replies, smiling proudly as he thinks about his naturally jovial girlfriend. “However, what exactly is wrong with Kris? I don't see anything wrong with her."

Silver snorts, retorting, “In your case, Queen Blabbermouth was the president of your Johto and Kanto fan club. In other words-”

“Yet another rabid fangirl.” Valen smacks his right palm into his face. “Even worse, that means I might have to put up with a second Hilda,” Valen grumbles. _“Actually, Hilda's not bad. I just don't know how she can be a fangirl after-"_

“When Queen Blabbermouth really annoys me, I find the spiciest hot sauces and/or peppers and sneakily put it onto the halfwit’s food,” Silver admits, snapping Valen back into focus. Then, Silver's mouth curves into a faint, devious smirk afterwards. “She’s so gullible that she falls for it every single time.”

“Wait, she had noodles with her, so did you-”

“Wait for it.” Silver rubs his hands together, gleaming with deviltry. “Wait for it, wait for it-”

“Ow ow ow, hot hot hot hot hot hot hot hot hot hot!” A smirking Silver is cut off by a red-faced Kris's frantic screaming. Kris crazily flails around like she's a Magikarp, catching the attention of many onlookers as she accidentally drops hot sauce onto her short, white jacket and the crimson sweater underneath. “Help me, this is too spicy! These noodles are too spicy! My mouth feels like I just turned into a Fire-type Pokémon! I’m a Grass/Fairy-type, not a Fire-type! Aieeeeeeee!”

“I had the chef put two different hot sauces onto Queen Blabbermouth’s noodles when she forced me to order it for her,” Silver explains to Valen, who's taken aback by the unusually wide, triumphant grin on Silver's face. “One hot sauce is made from Reaper peppers, while the other is made from Moruga peppers. Those are the top two spiciest peppers in the world, and like a lot of people, Queen Blabbermouth can’t tolerate that level of spice at all.”

After a few seconds of stunned silence, Valen's mouth curves into a devious grin. “That’s evil as fuck.” Valen snickers. “I absolutely love it.”

“That’s what she gets for acting like I’m her personal errand boy while she went to a boutique that sells high end modern reproductions of Victorian era clothing,” Silver grumbles as he grits his teeth in irritation. “Then, she literally walked outside of Old Downtown to go to this high end store called Nimbasa Fashion. That motormouth Kris wouldn’t shut her damn mouth about fashion for even one minute. Seriously, not a single person said anything about her outfits, because if they did, she’s ramble about it for the next three hours! Who the hell even cares about fashion that much?!”

“I know, right? Most people will never say anything about what you wear.” Valen sneers at the thought of dressing up, unless it makes him look badass. “However, my past persona may be an exception, because lotta people thought I rocked that attire well.”

“Regardless, if you say something negative about anything she never shuts up about, she’ll nag you for the next fifty hours,” Silver grumbles. “Whoever invented earplugs is my hero. Yeah, it sounds like an extreme response, but she never shuts up about sales and clothes and other shit.”

Valen faintly chuckles at Silver’s comment, before deciding to change the topic. “Anyway, how about we have the battle that you wanted?” Valen asks. “After all, that's how many locals greet people.”

“Sure, but where exactly are we gonna battle around here?”

“I already know of a place, so follow me.”

“Oh, one more thing,” Silver tells Valen. “You know Dimitri Liniya, right? The trainer who’s rumored to be stronger than this region’s champion?”

“Yep, he provided me with a job shortly after I was honorably discharged.” Valen sports a grateful smile, thinking about how Dimitri has helped him. “When I was reinstated, that job became a cover job. Of course. things are bit more complicated-”

“I want to battle him,” Silver interrupts. “Can you reach out to him?”

“Of course,” Valen replies, still smiling as he gives Silver a thumbs up. 

Silver’s mouth curves into a faint smirk. “Thanks, Valen.”

* * *

Valen has brought Silver to the exact same arena where he reunited with Rosa in person. As he takes out a Poké Ball, Silver looks around at the four, aged buildings that surrounds the square. Then, Silver looks down, and sees the extensive wear and tear that this arena has. Silver’s secretly impressed at how well maintained this region keeps its own buildings, as well as how well maintained this arena is, as he notices the remnants of cracks that have been filled in with the same type of concrete.

“I only agreed to this because you’re an old friend,” Valen admits halfheartedly as he takes out a Poké Ball. “I won’t forfeit because you’ll be screaming swear words at me if I do, but you’re likely gonna mop the floor with me.”

“You really need to work on your self deprecation issues,” Silver retorts with a hint of displeasure. “Anyway, I definitely won’t let you forfeit, even if you think a loss is guaranteed.”

“That’s why I’m still gonna try to win, but the odds are severely stacked against me," Valen replies, shrugging his shoulders. "Eh, it is what it is."

“I’ll use my Arcanine.” Silver presses the button on the Poké Ball to let his Fire-type Pokémon out. Arcanine lets out a booming growl, bearing his fangs to show that he’s ready to fight.

“You’re up.” Valen presses the button on his Poké Ball to let his Luxray out. Luxray hisses loudly as electricity sparks all around his body like lightning flashing in a stormy sky. However, Luxray feels that something’s wrong. Valen’s Pokémon know about his habit of degrading himself, and he feels that it’s happening yet again.

“Ready?” Silver asks, folding his arms.

“Yeah,” Valen replies, placing his hands in his pockets.

“Use Extreme Speed,” Silver commands. A translucent crimson red aura envelopes Arcanine as he charges at Luxray so quickly that the feline only sees a blur. When Arcanine becomes visible again to Luxray, he gets rammed ahead on by Arcanine.

“Dragon Pulse.” A crimson red sphere of energy forms inside of Arcanine’s mouth, and Arcanine fires it off at close proximity, thus leaving Luxray with no time to evade or counterattack. The Dragon Pulse attack strikes Indra just below his head, sending him staggering backwards.

“Use Thunderbolt.” Luxray launches a powerful bolt of electricity towards Arcanine. The bolt of electricity zaps the canine in his face, whose body becomes enveloped like it’s been surrounded by lightning.

“Use Flamethrower.” Arcanine pulls himself together and fires off a crimson red stream of fire from his mouth towards Luxray.

“Use Double Team.” Luxray creates several copies of itself, and the Flamethrower attacks strikes one of the copies. Arcanine is slightly taken aback, the canine's mouth slightly gaping open as Indra smirks in amusement. 

Since Arcanine's now in close proximity of his Luxray, Valen uses the opportunity to strike back. “Use Night Slash.” Luxray charges towards Arcanine as both of his front claws glow purple. Luxray jumps up on his hind legs and slashes Arcanine under the lower jaw with both of his front claws, both strikes being aimed at Arcanine's beige fur.

“Thunder Fang.” Luxray bears his fangs, which glow lightning yellow. Then, Luxray dashes and bites down on Arcanine's tail, causing the canine to yelp.

“Thunderbolt.” Once again, Luxray launches a powerful bolt of electricity towards Arcanine. This time, the bolt of electricity strikes Arcanine in the beige fur that's under his lower jaw, and it envelopes the canine's entire body. Arcanine closes his eyes as he stumbles backwards, but is able to pull himself together. Arcanine fixates a stern glare at Indra, letting out a booming howl. Then. Arcanine gives Luxray a grin of approval, signaling that it recognizes the feline’s strength. Luxray attempts to shrug it off like it’s nothing, but he can’t help but faintly smirk himself.

“Use Dragon Pulse.” For a second time, a crimson red sphere of energy forms inside of Arcanine’s mouth, and Arcanine fires it off at close proximity, striking Luxray under his lower jaw.

“Use Flamethrower.” Once again, Arcanine fires a crimson red stream of fire from his mouth. This time, Luxray doesn’t have time to counter, and he takes another direct hit to the face. 

"....I'm not gonna win this, but screw it." Valen smiles. "I'm gonna keep giving you a hard time." Luxray glances behind him, sporting a wide smirk. He's glad that his trainer isn't backing down, despite his belief that this battle can't be won.

Silver smirks, replying, "Let's see how you handle another Flamethrower." For a third time, Arcanine fires a crimson red stream of fire, but Valen's ready to counter.

"Agility!" Luxray evades the crimson red stream of fire by running around in circles, moving so fast that he seems to disappear and reappear. Arcanine snarls as he tries to figure out what to do, leaving him wide open for an attack. "Use Thunder." An intense surge of electricity surrounds Luxray's body. As he evades any potential counterattack via Agility, Luxray launches a massive wave of electricity that quickly envelops Arcanine's entire body. Arcanine bends down, shutting his eyes as he yelps.

"Night Slash." As Arcanine attempts to pull himself together, Luxray lunges towards the canine, his front claw glowing light-purple. Luxray jumps into the air and slashes the canine on the top of his head. Luxray lands behind Arcanine, hissing as he bears his fangs. 

“Use Thunderbolt.” For the third time, Luxray launches a powerful bolt of electricity towards Arcanine. As the canine struggles to stand upright, Thunderbolt strikes him just under his lower jaw, quickly enveloping the Fire-type. Arcanine yelps, severely staggering from taking a trio of strong attacks. 

“Use Flare Blitz.” Arcanine's able to pull himself together and stand upright, enveloped by a crimson red fireball. Arcanine lets out a howl as he charges towards Luxray.

"Counter with Wild Charge." A hissing Luxray charges towards Arcanine, his body being enveloped by yellow electricity that sounds like thunder is rumbling in the sky. Both Pokémon brutally ram into each other, making it look like several sticks dynamite had just gone off at the center of the battle area. As the smokes clear, Arcanine is enveloped by flames and Indra is enveloped by electrically, both taking recoil damage at the same time. Luxray nearly falls down, staggering with his eyes closed. Arcanine remains standing, but he’s staggering backwards as well. As Arcanine nearly falls down himself, he realizes that Luxray proved to be a much tougher opponent than he thought.

“Finish this with Fire Blast.” Arcanine's able to pull himself together, firing off a powerful surge of crimson red flames that take the shape of the kanji for fire.

As the Fire Blast attack approaches his Luxray, Valen seems content, sporting sports a warm, approving smile. “That's my boy,” Valen gently says. “Luxray, I'm still proud of you.” The feline faintly smirks as it takes the Fire Blast attack, falling to the ground in defeat. At least his trainer’s happy with him. Maybe one day, his trainer will realize that he’s not the weak human that he thinks he is.

“Heh, I can’t win em all,” Valen says, smiling as he recalls his Luxray back into his Poké Ball.

 _”I can tell that Valen’s genuinely proud of his Luxray, but this battle could have gone either way,"_ Silver thinks to himself as he recalls his Arcanine. _“Instead, he acted like h_ _e's nowhere near my level."_

“You’re way stronger than me,” Valen states, snapping Silver out of his train of thought. “Heh, I’m nothing compared to you and Dimitri.”

“Hey, don’t degrade yourself like that,” Silver chastises. “You've already proven to be on equal footing with Red and Blue."

“I lost to Red twice,” Valen points out, sporting an amused smirk. “Meanwhile, you’re one of the few trainers who’ve actually managed to defeat both Red and Blue.”

“Neither battle was a breeze for me. Also, your Salamence managed to defeat Red’s Charizard in your second battle against him, and both Red and Blue praised your strength as a trainer,” Silver points out, furrowing his eyebrows. “Valen, when are you going to stop selling yourself short and accept the fact that you're strong?"

Valen lets out a deep sigh, his smirk having turned into a frown. "I'm weak, not strong." Valen bows his head down as an unrelenting feeling of heaviness overcomes him.

 _“He’s still got a long road ahead of him.”_ Silver silently laments.

 _”It doesn’t matter how strong I was in the past...I’m now pathetic,”_ Valen silently bemoans. _“Thanks for refusing to leave this nobody’s side, Rosa. That’ll always mean a lot to me.”_

Silver hears the voice of Kris getting louder and louder. Silver rolls his eyes in annoyance, grumbling, “You’re much stronger than me; I just remembered that you’ll be able to tolerate a pain in the ass like her a lot more than I can.” Then, Silver hears Rosa's voice and smirks in amusement.

Valen’s somberness immediately evaporates upon hearing Rosa’s voice. “Things just got ten times better," Valen remarks, sporting a broad grin. "Rosa brightens my mood just by being present."

“Things also just got ten times worse because Queen Blabbermouth is here," Silver grumbles, just as a scowling Kris and a grinning Rosa appear in front of both guys.

“I heard that!” Kris angrily shouts at Silver as Rosa giggles.

Then, Rosa sees that Valen's here, and her grin becomes even wider. "Ooooh, look who’s here!" Rosa exclaims. “Hiiiii, Valey!” Rosa happily waves at Valen, who subtly waves back at her. 

“Valen, if you do get to know Kris more, you’ll be making her food too spicy as well," Silver informs with a devious smile, causing Kris to evolve into Electrode as she explodes with anger.

“I KNEW IT! I knew you were behind this!” Kris screams, staring Silver down with an infuriated glare. “You made me late in meeting my friends because of how much water I had to drink, which caused me to run to the restroom over and over again!”

“You’re such a dunce that it’s really easy to pull off," Silver points out with a faint cackle.

"You better hope the stains come off, mister!" Kris shouts.

"Or what?" Silver sneers.

“Hiii, Silver!” Rosa cheerfully interrupts the argument. Kris pouts at Rosa, annoyed that she's dismissing the spicy food antic.

Silver greets Rosa with a subtle wave, before turning towards Valen, asking, “So, are Rosa and you just friends or-“

“Nooooo, I’m his girlfriend!” Rosa interrupts Silver, pouting as she hisses.

“Huh? Really?” Silver lifts up his eyebrows. “I must have forgotten about that.”

“Yep,” Valen happily replies. “Rosa's best girl.”

“Valey Valey, here I come, Valey!” Rosa sings, happily dashing towards Valen while like a female Pyroar. “Grrr, feel Rosa's mighty Take Down attack!”

“Valen used Counter!” Valen stops her charge at the last minute by wrapping his left arm around her waist. “This can’t be a coincidence,” Valen remarks, sporting an affectionate smile. “What's my adorable cinnamon bun doing here?” Valen gives Rosa a noogie with his right hand, causing her to laugh as her face burns bright red.

“I love this so much! You were going to see Silver and I was going to see Kris. We're that inseparable, Valen!” Rosa tears up with laughter. Even Silver can’t help but smile over the interaction between these two old friends of his.

Silver glances towards Kris, breathing a sigh of relief when he realizes that Kris is keenly focusing on Valen and Rosa. “I heard his name earlier but I didn't pay much attention! This must be that Valey sweetie that you keep talking about, Rosa! He really does act different towards you!” Kris exclaims, sporting a broad grin. Kris looks at Valen with a great deal of intrigue, feeling like she's researching a mysterious figure. Kris, Lyra, Leaf, Hilda, Brendan, May, Misty, Gloria, Hop, Barry, Lucas, Dawn, Ethan, and so on know the name, but few among them know the face. Others in Rosa’s circle, such as Nate, Skyla, Silver, Calem, and Serena are old friends of Valen.

“Yeeep, this is my sweetie!” Rosa gushes, sporting an adoring grin. “Isn't he just the greatest?!”

“Let me guess, you begged Kris to meet you at the same place where the two of us reunited in person?” Valen asks with a affectionate grin as he continues to give Rosa a noogie.

“Yep, this spot is special to me because of my Valey sweetie!” Rosa exclaims, continuing to tear up with laughter. “Also, I’ll get you for this, you bad boy! I know all sorts of moves that can defeat you!”

“Bring it on!” Valen laughs. "I'm keeping track of all your moves!"

“Hi, big guy.” Melanie calls out to Valen, sporting a friendly smile.

“Oh hey, I wasn’t expecting you.” Valen stops his merciless noogie session and lets Rosa go. Rosa gives Valen a flirtatious, cocky wink as a warning that she’ll get him back for the noogie. 

“I wasn’t going to be here, but they to meet their friend. I figured why not, you know?” Melanie shrugs her shoulders. “I’ve hung out with them after your battle with Hilda.”

“Wait, who else is here?” Valen asks, his eyebrows jumping upwards. “I wasn’t expecting a gathering either.”

Before Melanie can answer Valen, Silver abruptly walks a few feet in front of him, asking, “Hey, are you that Melanie girl that Valen has mentioned in the past?”

“Yep, that's me!" Melanie exclaims.

“The name's Silver, and I know you've heard of me before.” Silver smirks.

“S-Silver?!" A wide-eyed Melanie frantically backs up a few feet. "One of only four trainers confirmed to have defeated the legendary trainer Red?!”

“Tee-hee, that's him” Rosa exclaims.

“I don’t think that I can even beat Silver in a Pokémon battle anymore,” Kris laments with a sigh. “He’s gotten so much stronger.” Then, Kris notices that the other two friends that she wanted to meet up with have arrived, much to her delight. Kris greets her two friends with a bright smile and wave.

“Heeeey, I’m here too! Kris called me!” Hilda cheerfully calls out to everybody. “We got late because this area is super cooool!”

“Oh no, not this loony!” Valen shrieks, but calms down a few seconds later. Valen lets out a sigh, murmuring, "Eh, she's not so bad."

“Hiii, Mr. Meanie! Kris called me too!” Leaf happily waves at Valen. “This area was sooo much fun to explore! We need to go back and take a closer look at everything!”

“Oh, hey Leaf,” Valen greets Leaf with a faint smirk. 

“Heeeey, why am I the only one who got a rude response?!” Hilda pouts.

“I dunno, why are you the only one who got a rude response?” Valen teases with a devious smirk.

“Can I get a nice response?” Hilda asks, still pouting.

“Okay,” Valen concedes. “Hi. Bye.”

“....Good enough for now.” Hilda sighs. “Of course, it's not Valen that I need to-“

“Wonderful, the other two blabbermouths are here,” Silver sarcastically grumbles. “This is definitely what I wanted to happen.”

“Stop being so rude, Silver!” Hilda scowls, flaring her nostrils.

A frowning Leaf closes her eyes, shouting, “Emperor Palpameanie!” 

“Leaf's still very unoriginal with her nicknames,” Silver murmurs to himself.

”Look at Leaf and I when we’re yelling at you, you dolt!” Hilda screams, her face reddening..

“Please shut up,” Silver grumbles.

“No!” Hilda and Leaf clap back.

“You made a good choice,” Silver tells Valen. “Rosa’s better than The Blabbermouth Triplets.”

“We are not blabbermouths!” Kris, Leaf, and Hilda bark as Leaf re-opens her eyes to fixate an angry glare at Silver, alongside Leaf and Hilda. “You’re just biased!”

“We are not blabbermouths. You’re just biased,” Silver mimics, rolling his eyes.

Rosa tilts her head back and folds her arms, emitting an aura of pride around her. “Hmph, Battle Queen Rosa’s obviously the best girl for Valen,” Rosa murmurs with a cocky smirk. “These girls may be my friends, but I tower over them in strength, cuteness, and beauty.”

Then, Kris glances over to Melanie, keenly studying Melanie’s blue jean jacket, blue jeans, and her crimson red shirt, exclaiming, “Ooooh, I like your clothes, Melanie!” Then, Kris notices Melanie’s elbow length, black hair. “Your hair’s really pretty and well kept as well!”

Silver smacks his face with the palm of his right hand, murmuring, “Oh no, not this crap again.”

“Thank you,” Melanie replies, closing her eyes her mouth curving into a confident smile. Melanie places her right hand on her hip, running her left hand through her hair as she emits an aura of confidence. “I’ve got to be at least a little bit fashionable, considering this doofus friend of mine doesn't even want to groom his hair.”

“Heeeey, my sweetie’s very handsome, even without combing his hair!” Rosa hisses as she pouts, causing Valen to faintly laugh in triumph. “Leave my Valey sweetie alone!”

“That’s my girl.” Valen nods, sporting a prideful smirk.

“Rosa, don’t encourage him,” Melanie chastises as she places her hands on her hips.

“....Hold up, since when did Melanie start wearing different shirts, and why do I suddenly care about Melanie wearing different shirts? I make no sense,” Valen says out loud, causing Melanie to faintly laugh. Melanie’s worn her crimson red shirt three times when hanging out with Valen, who didn’t notice, didn’t care, or both. Since it’s Valen, it’s most likely both.

Then, Kris' eyes sparkle like the ocean under a sunny sky, going gaga over Rosa's necklace. Kris remembers how Rosa gushed about it over the phone. “Rosa, that necklace is sooooo much prettier in person! It looks sooooo good on you!”

“Tee-hee, my Valey’s the best!” Rosa shows Kris the Serperior engravings on the emerald. “Valen remembered how much I wanted this!”

“I'm soooo jealous, but I’m also soooo happy for you!” Kris gushes, closing her eyes and placing her hands on her cheeks.

“Oh, that reminds me." Melanie fixates a curious gaze at Valen. “Valen, be honest and state the exact amount that you paid for Rosa’s necklace."

“You really wanna know how much the necklace cost me?” Valen's mouth curves into a mischievous grin, as he can't wait to see everybody's reaction to the price. “Seven thousand dollars, and I paid it without hesitation.”

Melanie's jaw drops as a Thunder Shock of disbelief surges within her entire body. “S-S-S-Seven thousand dollars?!”

Rosa backs up a few feet, placing her left hand over her gaping jaw as she lets out a loud gasp. “W-Woah, you spent thousands just for meeee?!”

Hilda and Leaf's fixate wide-eyed stares towards Valen in utter disbelief, their jaws having dropped as well. “S-Seriously?!”

“I’m impressed,” Silver murmurs with a faint smile.

A frowning Kris closes her eyes, shaking her head from side to side while wailing, “Noooo fair! Nobody’s ever spent that much to make me happy!”

“That’s because nobody wants a girl who acts like the end result of a threesome between a annoying yodeling hiker, a deafening opera singer, and a loony fashion freak whom desperately needs an intervention,” Silver taunts Kris with a cocky smirk, causing everybody but Kris to try to contain their laughter.

Kris's face has become as red as the infamous Red Gyarados. The normally happy girl's now hurling a barrage of borderline undecipherable obscenities towards a smug Silver like she’s a drunken sailor. Meanwhile, Valen glances over at Rosa, giving her a adoring smile. “That necklace was worth every penny, because it made Rosa extremely happy. It may have cost a lot of money, but Rosa’s priceless.”

“Kyaaaaaaa, my Valey’s the sweetest! I’m soooo lucky!” Rosa gushes with her eyes closed. Once again, Rosa’s marriage fantasies come back. Rosa envisions tuxedo wearing Valen proposing to her with an even rarer piece of Pokémon memorabilia that’s related to his past persona: a twenty four carrot gold ring that has a Salamence engraved within the ruby in the middle of it. Rosa squeals loudly, jumping up and down as she imagines an actual wedding where both of them say “I do” to each other, kissing very shortly afterwards.

Kris reverts back to her joyful self, exclaiming, “Rosa, it’s sooooo hard to argue with that, and I only just met him today!”

“He’s Dr. Sweetie and his bad half is Mr. Meanie! It’s a battle between good and evil!” Leaf cheerfully chimes in. “Ooooh, maybe when I became a movie star, I can somehow star in a movie titled Dr. Sweetie and Mr. Meanie!”

Melanie folds her arms and walks closer to Valen. “Should I tell Leaf about the origin of your past persona?” Melanie playfully whispers. 

Valen's mouth curves into a devious smile. “Where’s the fun in that? For now, let them figure it out for themselves.”

“You're awful,” Melanie teases with a playful grin, her eyes glowing with joy as she flicks Valen on the forehead.

“I know,” Valen snickers.

A grinning Hilda jumps up and down, clasping her hands next to her right cheek. “I wanna gush over how precious Valen and Rosa are together, but I’m also soooo jealous of Rosa!”

“Hilda! Leaf! I already told Kris this; this is the spot where I reunited with Valen in person!” Rosa cheerfully explains, sporting a beaming smile. “We had a battle too, which was soooo much fun!”

“You reunited in a battle arena, and you had a battle? That’s soooo romantic!” Hilda squeals, her eyes now sparkling. “That's my kind of date!”

“Hilda, you should just marry battling already!” Leaf teases, sporting a mischievous smile. 

“H-Hey, d-don’t toy with me like that!” Hilda yelps, her eyes having widened. 

“H-Hey, how’d you two boys meet in the first place?” Melanie asks Silver and Valen. Melanie’s face has slightly reddened, as she's trying her hardest to keep herself calm while the other girls gush.

“Valen and I first met while he was in Alola, right after both of us joined Team Skull.” Talking about Team Skull causes Silver vividly remember the time when Gumza admitted to Valen, Gladion, and Silver that he became a street thug to rebel against his father, a member of the Alolan Mafia. Silver also remembers that Guzma said that his father’s nicknamed “The Golfer” over his use of golf clubs to beat people for extortion money and debt collecting. Then, Silver subtly shakes his head to snap himself out of these dark thoughts, not wanting to dwell on them.

Rosa re-opens her eyes, letting out a panicked scream. “W-What?! Valen joined Team Skull?! Oh noooooo!”

“Chill out, Rosa,” Melanie chastises. “Team Skull’s now a legitimate group. Rebellious, but not criminal.”

“O-Oops, s-sorry for the rush to judgement,” Rosa sheepishly apologizes with an embarrassed smile. “I forgot about that....and I forgot that Valen told me about joining Team Skull.”

Valen walks up to Rosa and affectionately pats her on the head, causing her to sport a winsome smile. “You’re so innocent, cinnamon bun.”

As Valen moves his hand off of Rosa’s head, Rosa begins to imagine Valen wearing the exact same leather jacket he's wearing, except with the Team Skull logo on it. The initially panicked Rosa goes total fangirl again, gushing, "Kyaaaaa, he'd look so cooool if he wore a jacket with the Team Skull logo on it!” Then, Rosa begins blushing as she imagines Valen in a tuxedo with the Team Skull logo on it. Of course, the second fantasy is yet another fantasy of tuxedo wearing Valen proposing to her, causing her to squeal loudly a second time. Rosa's infectious smile and cheerful demeanor causes even Silver to chuckle, which causes Kris to pout out of jealously. Kris has never gotten Silver to chuckle, excluding his spicy food prank which usually leaves her needing to drink three jugs of water.

 _”Wanna see what Armageddon looks like? Your boy’s gonna show you. It’s your boy, The Black Reaper.”_ Valen sports a cocky grin. _“Alternatively, it's your boy Valen.”_

“Once Guzma found out that the The Black Reaper was in Alola, he wanted to get him to join.” Silver's eyes slightly widen as he remembers what he told Valen over the phone, and that Kris is still here. "Oh shit-"

“Wait, this guy’s The Black Reaper?!” A stunned Kris cuts Silver off, causing Silver to groan as a wide-eyed Valen sweats nervously. “The legendary trainer from Calvana that vanished five years ago?!”

“Yeeeep, that’s him!” Hilda cheerfully exclaims. “The cool dreamboat himself!”

“Mr. Meanie’s indeed The Black Reaper!” Leaf joyfully chimes in.

“What the hell, man?!” Valen's nervousness has turned into annoyance, his eyes bulging out as he scowls at Silver. “Silver, what the hell was that for?! Why’d you rat me out like that?!”

Silver sighs, replying, “Sorry, I tried blocking Kris out of my mind once the fashion talk started.”

Valen grits his teeth, shrieking, “Now we’re both royally screwed!”

“I’m well aware of that," Silver grumbles.

“I'm well aware of that,” Valen mimics.

“The Black Reaper’s my sweetie!” Rosa squeals, her eyes sparkling like her necklace. “I’m sooooo lucky!”

“This is sooo amazing!” Kris gushes, closing her eyes as she sways from side to side. “I was the president of your fan club in Johto and Kanto!"

”Hee hee, I was the vice president!” Leaf giggles over Valen’s jaw dropping in response to her comment.

 _“Don’t do it, Melanie. Valen needs you to be calm,”_ A nervous Melanie mentally tells herself as she feels her inner fangirl resurfacing again. _“You're supposed to be like the protective sister that Valen never had. Don't give into the dark side.”_

“Gaaaaaaah, this fangirl shit only happens to me!” Valen shrieks as he grabs his hair. “It’s always me, and it’s only me!”

“The box that this necklace came in has his autograph on it!” Rosa gushes.

“Noooooo fair, I want something with his autograph on it!” Kris wails.

“Speaking of which, do you want to join the Valey Girls?” Rosa asks Kris.

“That’s his new fan club!” Leaf chimes in.

“Join the club!” Hilda invites.

“Count me in!” Kris accepts.

Kris, Leaf, and Hilda turn their attention to Melanie, awaiting her fangirl side. Instead, Melanie folds her arms, sternly stating, “Nope, I’m not going to go full fangirl this time.”

“You’re one of the founding members!” Hilda points out.

“You have no choice!” Leaf chimes in.

“Let’s get her, girls!” Kris hollers. Kris approaches Melanie first, followed Leaf and Hilda.

“Uh oh, this doesn’t look good,” A nervous Melanie murmurs to herself as Kris, Leaf, and Hilda amusingly stare at her with mischievous smiles.

“Join us!” Kris, Leaf and Hilda demand at the same time as they grab Melanie’s left arm. “Join us!”

“L-Let go of me! Let go of me this instant!” Melanie huffed.

Rosa decides to stay next to Valen, but she's giggling at how flustered Melanie is getting. Valen, who's now scowling, has calmed down to an extent. However, Valen's still very displeased. “Dammit, this is why I named it The Fangirl Apocalypse.” Then, Valen glances towards Silver, asking, “Moving on, have you heard from Gladion recently?”

“Yep, and he was justifiably whining about having to go to the Nimbasa Fashion store in Alola with his sister and their adoptive mother.”

“How much you wanna bet he’s gonna have his brooding music on max volume the next time you call him?” Valen smirks.

“I don’t need to bet, because my damn ears are still ringing from those loud ass speakers he got,” Silver . “He’s got a rock music playlist when he’s edgy and/or brooding, and he’s got a rap music playlist when he’s annoyed and/or angry.”

“Wait, that sounds like it’s just normal Gladion, so-”

“Like I said, my ears are still ringing.”

“Tee-hee, you three boys are triplets personality-wise!”

With a adoring, mischievous smirk, Valen strolls up to Rosa, who fails to realize what Valen is planning as her eyes remain closed. “Oh, is that so, my adorable pain in the ass?” Valen wraps his arms around Rosa’s waist, spins her around, and proceeds to tickle her, causing Rosa to cry with laughter. ”What about you and these girls?“

“Hahahahahahaha! I love my mischief loving idiot sooo much! Hahahahahaha!”

As Kris, Hilda, and Leaf attempt to push a nervous Melanie to gush over The Black Reaper with them, and as Valen ignores all of them and continues giving a gleeful Rosa a merciless tickle session, Silver can’t help but ponder about Gladion and Lillie. Silver remembers their horrified facial expressions when Nanu and Anabel had to tell them that Faba’s true allegiance lies with the Alolan Mafia. Lillie had to be consoled by her brother, as she started to cry when it was explained that Faba likely joined the Aether Foundation so he could abduct Pokémon to sell on the black market. This revelation came a month after four separate International Police SWAT teams, dozens of suited Interpol agents, and members of the Alolan Coast Guard surrounded and stormed the artificial island with numerous arrest warrants, with Lusamine being the main target. Faba had fled by this point.

 _“No matter where you go, there’s always some dark shit going on. At least, that's what it feels like to me,”_ Silver thinks to himself, lamenting that he can’t shake these dark thoughts. Then, Silver vividly remembers something very generous that Valen did for their friends. After Lusamine was taken into custody by Interpol and the Alolan Coast Guard for her actions, Valen asked relatives in Alola to allow Lillie and Gladion to live with them. _“Lusamine's still behind bars. She's deemed too dangerous to be released, but Lillie and Gladion are in good hands. I hope Valen remembers that he's not a bad person.”_

 _“Okay, now's the time to get to know the real Valen.”_ Hilda walks closer to Valen, clasping her hands behind her back. “Hey Valen, is that Typhlosion you have your starter Pokémon?”

“H-Hilda, y-you’re actually....trying to get to know me?” Valen asks, turning his head towards Hilda.

“I figured that I should also get to know the guy behind that cool and dashing persona,” Hilda gently explains, sporting a tender smile. “I’m a big fan of The Black Reaper, but you’re not just The Black Reaper. You’re also Valen, and Rosa loves you as both Valen and The Black Reaper. I owe it both of you to at least try to be your friend, regardless of the name that you go by.”

“....E-Even though I was rude to you?” Valen questions, his voice emitting a hint of quaking.

“You aren't a bad person,” Hilda gently replies. “I've already forgiven you.”

“W-Why, H-Hilda?” Valen trembles. “I didn't....I apologized to your Pokémon, but-”

Hilda swallows before speaking, her eyebrows curving downwards. “I don't have the heart to hold it against you.” Hilda interjects, letting out a deep sigh. “Especially not....not after seeing how much pain Rosa's in over your current state. You're both hurting....and it makes me sad.”

“....I still don't deserve to be treated kindly by you.” Valen breaks eye contact with Hilda, glancing at the lower portion of her black, sleeveless vest and the white tank top underneath. “I was a jerk who belittled you.”

“I'm sorry for calling you a jerk,” Hilda softly says, sporting a sad smile. “There's a lot more to you than meets the eye.”

A shaken Valen has been stunned into silence. What’s going on here? What’s so special about a cold and bitter individual like him that has people wanting to know him better?

By this point, Valen's let go of Rosa. Rosa kisses Valen on the lips, gently requesting, “Please answer Hilda's question, sweetie.” Rosa caresses the upper portion of Valen’s left arm.

“At the very least, can you tell me if you started with Cyndaquil?” Hilda asks in a soothing tone, snapping Valen back into focus. “Please, Valen?”

“....My mom’s colleague, Professor Elm, allowed me to pick between Chikorita, Cyndaquil, and Totodile. So yes, I picked Cyndaquil.”

“Oooh, that’s a nice pick! I picked Chikorita!” Kris happily exclaims.

“You probably figured this out, but my starter Pokémon was Tepig,” Hilda says, sporting a warm smile. _“I'd also like to find out if he's the same Valen that I scouted for PokéStar Studios.”_

“Mine was Bulbasaur!” A jovial Leaf chimes in.

“Oh nooooo, that means Leaf, Kris, and I have the type disadvantage against Hilda!” Rosa blurts out, yelping over an irrational fear that Hilda will dethrone her and take Valen for herself.

“That’s where Milotic and Aerodactyl come in,” Valen points out. “Besides, type advantage doesn’t automatically guarantee a win.”

“Also, I picked Mudkip,” Melanie chimes in.

“Oh, there’s one more thing,” Hilda tells Valen, sporting a beaming smile.

“What would that be?” Valen asks, his smile having already vanished. _”Why’s she being so friendly to me?"_

“Thank you for being so kind hearted and sweet towards Rosa," Hilda says.

Valen's eyes widen immensely, his mouth gaping open in disbelief. _"Huh?! I’m being thanked again?!”_ A shaken Valen steps backwards several feet. Two people thanked him within two days. Seriously, what's going on?

“We may not have had much interaction with each other, but Rosa’s our close friend, and you’ve made her really happy,” Hilda tells Valen. “You have a heart of gold underneath your cold exterior.”

“I second what Hilda said!” Leaf joyfully chimes in. “Thank you, Valen!”

 _“Three times in two days?!”_ Valen's jaw drops. _"I was rude to Leaf too!"_

“Rosa won’t stop talking about you!” Kris gushes. “So, I’ll join Hilda and Leaf and say thanks!”

 _“Four times?!"_ Valen feels a knot forming within his stomach. _"I've barely interacted with Kris!"_

"I suppose that I owe you a thanks as well, as Rosa's my friend too,” Silver says, having snapped back into focus.

 _“Even Silver is thanking me?!”_ By this point, Valen's muscles have frozen, like he's just been hit with an Ice Beam attack.

“Mr. Meanie, no matter how long it takes, we’re going to be your friends!” Leaf happily proclaims. "You don't even mind the nickname Mr. Meanie! You can't hide that info from meeeee!"

“Friendship isn’t a myth, Valen!” Hilda cheerfully asserts "I'll prove it to you, just you wait!"

Valen shuts his eyes, clenching his jaw as he hyperventilates. Valen feels light-headed, musing, _"What's going on?! I was rude to you, Leaf! I was even ruder to you, Hilda! I don't....I don't know what to do!"_

“Hey, he looks really shaken!” Kris points out, wrinkling her eyebrows.

“Will he be alright?” Silver asks.

“It looks like he doesn’t know how to respond,” Rosa somberly remarks, giving Valen a watery gaze. “I hate this....I hate seeing him like this.”

“I agree with Rosa,” Melanie chimes in, her eyebrows curved downwards. “He’s strong as a trainer, but he’s becomes very weak when it comes to interacting with people and expressing himself.”

“....Are you okay, Valen?” Rosa asks, sporting a worried frown.

“....Yeah, I'll be alright,” Valen replies, taking deep breaths to calm himself down. Then, Valen places his hands in his pockets and starts to saunter away.

“Valen, you’re leaving already?” Hilda asks Valen, right before the latter's about to exit the arena.

“....Yeah, I’m going home.” Valen replies, slumping his shoulders. “However, I appreciate you trying to get to know me. You aren’t half bad, Hilda.”

“Heeeey, you can’t escape me that easily!” Hilda exclaims, giving Valen a warm smile.

“....I’ll see you around.” Valen saunters out of the arena and out of sight, turning to his right. _“I don’t get it....why me? Why do they want to befriend me?”_

Nobody is sure what to say or do, so Silver decides to break the ice. “The shadows that enshroud Valen are so dense that light struggles to pass through it.” Silver glances behind him towards Rosa, stating, “So far, it seems that only you've been able to dispel his darkness.”

Rosa gulps, but she's filled with determination and confidence. Valen will never be alone ever again. Not if she can help it. “Sorry everybody, but I need to make sure he’s okay!”

“Sure, go ahead,” Kris replies, sporting a soft smile.

“Thank you,” Rosa tells Kris, smiling in gratitude.

“I’ll stay here so it’s just the two of you,” Melanie chimes in, sporting a warm smile. “I wish he’d open up to me more too, but he’ll do so when he’s ready.”

“Thanks, Melanie.” Rosa waves goodbye at everyone as she runs to catch up with Valen, leaving the others to ponder about Valen's situation.

“He wants to open up,” Hilda remarks, her eyebrows drawing together as she sports a sad frown. “That’s what I felt just now.”

“I felt the same thing,” Leaf chimes in, sounding abnormally dull and monotone. "Poor guy....he must’ve felt so lonely many times."

“At least now I....I kind of understand why he acts the way he does." Hilda sniffles, her eyes becoming watery. “This situation....it makes me want to cry.”

“I don't think Valen knows how to open up,” Melanie chimes in, closing her eyes as she places her left hand over her hardening stomach. “At least, not anymore.”

 _“I still struggle with opening up to people myself. Regardless, I owe Valen big time,”_ Silver thinks to himself. Since Valen helped him out a few years ago, Silver wants to repay the favor.

“Valen loved Pokémon battling as much as Rosa and you,” Melanie informs Hilda as the former re-opens her eyes. “In fact, anything related to battling is probably the only time where the rest of us can see his old self.”

“Hey, how strong is Valen?” Kris asks Silver. “I know he's The Black Reaper, but it's been five years since he donned his signature attire.”

“I recall that Red and Blue told me that he was very strong,” Leaf chimes in. “Maybe he's gotten stronger since his last appearance as The Black Reaper.”

“....He won’t stop selling himself short, but Valen's defeated Blue before,” Silver explains, folding his arms. “While he's yet to defeat Red, his Salamence managed to defeat Red's Charizard in their second battle. Neither of his battles with Red weren’t super one-sided, but the second one was very close. Overall, Valen's one of the strongest trainers I've ever seen.”

“H-He’s that strong?!” Kris’s jaw drops in shock, tipping her neck back. "W-Woah, that's incredible! He's even tamed a Salamence!"

“Admittedly, I've been told that Valen met his Salamence when the dragon was a young Bagon,” Silver states.

Hilda's eyes widen, wailing, “Aieeeeeeee, no wonder that battle was so difficult!”

“Hee hee, Mr. Meanie’s awesome!” Leaf exclaims, sporting a smile.

“Yep, now I remember,” Melanie chimes in, sporting a placid smile. "I said that he was on my level, but he's probably stronger than me. There aren't a lot of trainers who can hold their own against Red and Blue."

"There's more." Silver closes his eyes, sporting a frown. "We battled before everybody showed up. He didn't throw the battle, but he's not as weak as he thinks. I'm sick of his habit of putting himself down."

".....I feel like I should have interacted with him more," Kris admits, shutting her eyes as she takes a deep, pained breath.

Silver places his right hand on Kris' left shoulder, stating, "Don't worry, I won't let this go on. You'll get to know Valen in due time."

"Thanks, Silver," Kris replies, sporting a warm smile.

Silver takes his right off of Kris' shoulder and looks at Kris, Hilda, and Leaf. "Valen's not who he appears to be. He's much better than that," Silver replies, sporting a faint smile. "If you don't trust me on that, at least trust Rosa. You've seen how he treats her."

"I can vouch for him," Melanie adds. "I've known him since we were seven."

The group goes silent, while the sounds of footsteps and chatter outside echo within the arena. Various aromas of food such as pizza and chocolate find their way into the arena, but nobody's feeling the desire to have a snack. After about a minute or two, Hilda breaks the silence to cheer everybody up. “Heeeey, we never asked Rosa how she met Valen! I bet it's such a romantic tale!” Hilda exclaims, sporting a grin as she clasps her hands next to her left cheek. “If she told us, then I soooo totally forgot!”

Silver's mouth curves into a devious smirk, stating, “Even if she have told us today, you’d have already forgotten it by now.”

Hilda's face begins to reddens as she steps back a few feet. “N-no I w-wouldn't-“

“He's got a point.” Melanie laughs. “I don’t think even Valen’s as oblivious as you can be.”

Leaf glances to her left, giving Hilda a teasing smile. “You forget everything that isn’t related to battling, Ms. Mindless.” Leaf giggles. “Even then, you were the last person to realize that Valen was that three time winner, cuz you’re slower than Slowpoke.”

“Oooh, maybe Valen should've temporarily stop battling when Hilda came to this region, cuz Lady Dolt wouldn’t even remember his name!” Kris giggles. 

“H-Hey, d-don’t gang up on me like this!” Hilda wails, closing her eyes as she jumps up and down. “Why does the squad always roast me?!”

“You've got a tendency to make yourself the easiest target,” Silver gibes.

“Silver, you're horrid at anything related to people, so shut your mouth!” Hilda yells, her lips curling out disgust. “I bet you can't even plan a good event!”

“I bet you can't even plan a good event,” Silver mimics while snickering.

* * *

Rosa's able to catch up to Valen, as he's sauntering while she dashes towards him like she's using Agility. “Valen!” Rosa shouts.

Valen halts, glancing behind him towards Rosa as the latter catches up to him. “Oh, hey.”

Rosa pants, feeling slightly exhausted. “Why....Why’d you take off like that?”

“...I took off because I....I didn’t know how to respond,” Valen somberly admits, giving Rosa a longing gaze. “Hilda and Leaf haven’t seen us interact that much, and I literally just met Kris today. On top of that....Brendan thanked me yesterday....even Silver thanked me today.”

“They saw the way you interacted with me and the gift that you gave me,” Rosa points out, sporting a gentle smile. “Who wouldn’t see you as being kind after seeing all that?”

“Rosa, the darkness is too strong and I'm too weak,” Valen somberly replies, letting out a heavy sigh. Tears start streaming down Valen’s face, causing Rosa's smile to turn into a frown. 

_“Poor Valen...so much suffering he’s endured,”_ Rosa mentally laments. Rosa's eyes moisten up as she bows her head down to avoid seeing Valen cry. 

“...Someone actually wanted to get to know me...nobody ever wants to get to know me...and I still have a lotta distrust,” Valen laments as tears continue to stream down his face, feeling an overwhelming sense of heaviness. “Dimitri said strength isn't everything, but when the world’s so cold that only the strong and hardened have the highest chances of survival, where exactly can other pieces fit into the puzzle? How does one trust others and value friendship in such a cold world?”

“I hate this.” Rosa murmurs. “He’s in so much pain. I hate seeing him in pain.”

“A number of my military brothers and sisters are buried in the city’s military cemetery. Losing additional friends through abandonment would just....add insult to injury.” Valen lets out a heavy sigh. “Besides, they'll forget me....society tends to forget war veterans.”

 _“He's lonely, but he's also afraid.”_ Rosa sniffles as she wipes away her tears. She didn’t realize that Valen had become so accustomed to being alone that he couldn’t even handle personal questions and genuine appreciation from others besides herself. Rosa fights back her sadness, walking up to Valen with a tender smile. Rosa counters Valen's vacant gaze with a loving gaze and gives him a warm embrace, wrapping her arms around his neck. “I understand, Valen.”

Valen embraces Rosa back, asking. “What...exactly do you mean by that, Rosa?” Valen starts to feel better as calmness and warmth flows through him. Valen knows his issues can't be solved just like that, but he's been feeling at ease whenever Rosa shows him affection.

“Valen, I understand why you’ve been so hesitant to open up in the first place, but no matter what, I’ll remain by your side.” Rosa lovingly smiles, kissing Valen on his left cheek. “Take all the time you need, because your friends will be waiting for you when you’re ready. I promise that none of them will abandon you, even if they learn about your darkest secret.”

“You just called them my friends, but-”

“If they’re my friends, then they’re your friends too,” Rosa cuts Valen off. “Anyway, since we’re inseparable, they’ll have to put up with you. Either it’s Valen and Rosa, or it’s no Rosa for them.”

“Do you actually think that Calem, Brendan, Hilda, Leaf, and Kris wouldn’t abandon me if they found about that secret of mine?” Valen asks, still very skeptical as both Rosa and him let go of each other. 

“Valen, they won’t abandon you. You have my word,” Rosa replies with a warm, caring smile. “I know them well, and I can’t see them abandoning you, which would end up hurting both of us.” Rosa feels that Valen still isn’t convinced, but she’s confident that he’ll come around eventually.

“Before I saw Melanie for the first time in a while, Dimitri told me that I shouldn’t fret, and the next day, my dad told me something similar. I’m slowly beginning to understand what they meant,” Valen replies with a faint smile, wiping away his tears. “Thanks for bringing happiness into my life again, my adorable pain in the ass.”

“You’re welcome, my favorite idiot!” Rosa giggles, kissing Valen on the lips.

“Your boy wants another hug.” Valen teases, giving Rosa a warm smile as he wraps his right arm around her waist, pulling her as close to himself as possible. “Your hugs are addicting, but keep that between us.”

“Awwww, thanks!” Rosa exclaims with an adoring grin. “Don’t worry, nobody will know!”

“Say, you’ve know those three girls for sometime, right?” Valen asks.

“Yep!” Rosa exclaims.

“You mentioned me frequently back then too, right?” Valen questions.

“Of course, silly!” Rosa giggles.

“So, wouldn’t those three they remembered at least something about me?”

“Well, yes and no,” Rosa replies with a gentle smile. “See, we were online friends before we knew each other personally. I actually personally met Leaf and Kris while you were deployed to Orre, and while I did mention you, I didn’t go into too much detail. I was afraid what wound happen to me mentally. I didn't want to imagine the worst case scenario. I didn’t really mention you at all when you vanished from my life.”

Valen’s eyes moisten up again, breaking eye contact with Rosa. He's ashamed at himself for what he did to Rosa. “Sorry for vanishing from your life like that,” Valen somberly replies, sporting a frown. “That had to have hurt you badly...some boyfriend I am.”

Rosa’s already decided that she's got to be happy for Valen’s sake, even if it deeply pains her to see him sad. Valen needs happiness and affection from her, not sadness and misery. Rosa kisses Valen on the lips, saying, “It hurt me a lot, but I’ve long since forgiven you for that. I should’ve asked your mom about how you were doing instead of assuming everything was fine. I won’t make that same mistake again.”

“My mom convinced me to at least consider reaching out to you,” Valen admits, his frown having been replaced with a faint smile. “I didn’t show it, but I was touched that you were calling my mom more than anybody else. However, I thought you hated me, so-” Valen cuts himself off as Rosa playfully smacks him twice on his left cheek.

“Don't say stupid things like that.” Rosa looks directly into Valen's eyes with a loving gaze. “I was never mad at you, nor did I ever hate you.”

“....You really are best girl.” Valen kisses Rosa on her lips, much to her delight. “The family Boltund and my Pokémon team further encouraged me to do it. I wanted to make them happy. I also felt like it was worth a try, and it turned out to have a positive domino effect.”

“Oh, I forgot to talk about Hilda in relation to your question! I’m soooo silly!” Rosa giggles. “I personally met her five years ago at the Pokémon World Tournament. If she did meet you at some point within the last four years, she might have forgotten. Hilda's can be an absent minded klutz. However, she's also really good at organizing, managing, and planning events.”

“Maybe she was in another region?” Valen asks. “Then again, I did keep a bit of a lower profile at times.”

“Well, she was was in Johto around the time you and I first met,” Rosa replies.

“In any case, thanks for the explanation,” Valen says, letting Rosa go but holding onto her left hand. “Now, come walk with me. I want to hang out with my cinnamon bun.”

“Kaaaaay!” Rosa giggles.

As Rosa and Valen walk together, the latter's face has reddened out of nervousness. _“Alright, I can do this. I can do this.”_

Rosa's noticed Valen's sudden change in demeanor, teasing, “Tee-hee, Valey’s being mysterious again!”

Valen takes a deep breath, lowering his head out of shyness. “Soooo, best girl....since y-yo-you’re already staying with me, do y-yo-you w-wanna m-mo-move in with me? Eh heh heh heh...p-ple-please?”

Rosa's slightly taken aback at first, but quickly reverts back to teasing Valen. “Oooooh, you plowed through your nervousness to ask meeeee!”

Valen closes his eyes and pouts, stating, “Hmph, j-ju-just say yes a-al-already so I d-do-don’t have to e-em-embarrass myself.”

“Kaaaay, the answer is yes!” Rosa giggles over Valen's shyness.

Valen re-opens his eyes and glances downwards at Rosa, asking, “So, do I get a new bed so you can sleep in my room, or will you stay in that other bedroom so you can personalize it without my interference?”

“My bed can fit both of us!” Rosa happily replies. “I can bring it with me!”

“My room's the master bedroom, so it has enough space for your belongings,” Valen informs. “The question is what about the other bedroom”

“It can be a guest bedroom!” Rosa cheerfully exclaims.

“I like that idea,” Valen replies, patting Rosa on the head. Valen's smile becomes wider upon seeing Rosa giving him a sweet smile.

“Yaaaay, I win again!” Rosa exclaims, happily closing her eyes.

Then, Valen hits upon another idea that he hopes she'll be ecstatic over. “On second thought, why don’t I take you out for a bite to eat before we go back home?” Valen asks with a friendly smile. “There's a place that serves authentic Unovan pizza within-”

Rosa's eyes glitter. “Say no more!”

“Today's lunch is on your boy,” Valen says.

“Awwww, you don’t have to do that, Valen!” Rosa gives Valen an ear-to-ear, adoring grin, pointing to the necklace she’s wearing. “You’ve already spoiled me with this amazing gift!”

“Valen insists on further spoiling his adorable pain in the ass,” Valen teases. “Besides, I’m getting hungry.”

“Kaaaay, I’ll let you win this time, my Valey sweetie!” Rosa exclaims, happily closing her eyes. “Lunch date lunch date! Lunch date with Valeeeey!” Rosa sings as Valen and her continue to walk together. “Valey Valey, I’m with Valey! Valey Valey, it’s Rosa and Valey!”

 _“Heh, anything that makes the already cheerful Rosa even more cheery is worth it,”_ Valen thinks to himself, sporting an adoring smile.

“Oooooh, whatcha thinking?” Rosa giggles, snapping Valen back into focus.

“Hey cinnamon bun, don't forget about your dreams,” Valen says, patting Rosa on the head. “I don't want you to lose sight of them, alright?”

“Don't worry,” Rosa reassures. “I haven't given up. I'll never give up.”

“That's my girl,” Valen replies.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Silver and Kris are in their early twenties. What did you think of Silver and Kris?
> 
> Y/N: Were you surprised to learn that Silver beat Red? 
> 
> Y/N: Were you surprised when Silver disclosed how strong Valen really is?
> 
> Y/N: Did you expect Hilda to be the first among Rosa's circle to ask him a personal question?
> 
> Y/N: Are you surprised that Valen, Silver, and Gladion would become friends?
> 
> Revisions include extending the battle, extended dialogue, dialogue/text alterations, extended scenes, and added details.


	18. A New Friend

It’s been four days since Valen met up with Silver and met Kris for the first time. Valen's had to delay helping Rosa moving in with, as he wanted to take up an intel assignment. Rosa waits for him in the living room, currently partaking in another group chat. This time, Calem, Silver, Brendan, Arthur and Kris have joined Melanie, Leaf, Hilda, and Rosa. After Arthur introduced himself to Silver and Kris, and and after Calem and Brendan did a little bit of catching up with Silver and Kris, the group proceeded to discuss how to proceed with Valen. Silver, Rosa and Melanie have decided to explain a little bit of what caused Valen’s current state, as Arthur is the only other person who’s been told anything about what happened to Valen.

However, Rosa refuses to tell anybody the darker secrets that Valen told her. She won’t risk breaking the level of trust Valen has in her. Silver also knows secrets about Valen. Not as much as Rosa, but more than the others. Just like Rosa, Silver won’t say a word either. Actually, everybody in this group chat have sworn not to divulge anything Valen tells them unless it’s absolutely necessary and/or of Valen’s fine with it, because the first step is to gain, or to regain, Valen’s trust. They can’t proceed further without Valen easing up on his distrust.

Everyone has been stunned into silence after talking about/hearing about what happened to Valen. After several minutes, Brendan decides to break the ice. “Damn, the guy’s has it rough,” Brendan laments, sporting a somber frown. “No wonder he keeps to himself.” 

“That explains a lot,” Calem remarks, sporting a troubled frown. “Who wouldn’t grow cold upon seeing such horrors?”

“Please try to be patient with Valen,” Rosa tells everybody with a sad smile. “I don’t want him to feel overwhelmed or pressured.”

“Rosa’s right,” Silver adds, closing his eyes with a stern expression on his face. “Believe me, I’ve been in his shoes. You all need to handle this step by step, because outside of his relationship with Rosa, he’s gotten accustomed to a joyless life."

“I realized that if any of us want to be Valen’s friend, we have to approach him," Hilda somberly admits. "That’s why I asked about his Typhlosion.”

“Hilda’s right,” Melanie chimes in, her mouth curving into a frown. “Even I was doing it totally wrong. We have to approach him ourselves and hope that he's receptive to it. Maybe he'll to spring into action and try to open up more."

"Valen needs guidance," Silver adds, letting out a heavy sigh. "The guy's just as lost as I once was."

“I’ll make him my friend too!” Kris happily declares, hoping to cheer everybody up with a bright smile.

“I wanna help him out!” Brendan exclaims, cocking his brow. 

“I’ll chip in as well,” Calem states, sporting a faint, confident smile. “Hopefully, I can also get him to finally reach out to Serena, as she misses him.”

“Of course, I shall see what I can accomplish as well,” Arthur says, sporting a wide, confident smile.

“Thanks, everyone,” Rosa replies, smiling in gratitude. “I really appreciate how all of you already consider him part of our circle, regardless of his behavior.”

“Heeey, you love him sooo much that we had to accept him to our circle!” Hilda points out. “I’m sure he’ll come around eventually!”

“Ooooh, maybe the rest of us should split up into teams of two!” Leaf cheerfully explains, also attempting to cheer everybody up with a bright smile. “Maybe he’ll ease up on playing defense if we slowly approach him in pairs instead of a group!”

“Good thinking, Leaf!” Kris cheerfully compliments.

“Hmmm, that could work,” Calem replies with an approving smile.

“Why don’t I step up first?” Melanie chimes in, having become even more determined to help her longtime friend. “I’ve known him the longest.”

“I’ll join you,” Hilda tells Melanie. “I asked him that question, so I want to approach him again.”

“Rosa, can Hilda and I come over to Valen’s house?” Melanie asks.

“Sure, I don’t think he’ll mind,” Rosa replies. “However, he’s been busy, but he texted me that he should be home within the next hour. Try to come around then, okay?”

“Thanks, will do,” Melanie replies, feeling a sense of calm.

“Thanks, Rosa,” Hilda says, feeling a sense of determination.

“Remember that Valen’s not a bad person,” Rosa tells everybody, sporting a somber smile. “He’s a broken person who’s lost and confused. As his girlfriend, I’m gonna lead the charge to help him.”

“I’ll be second-in-command,” Melanie proclaims. Just like Rosa, Melanie's determined to play the biggest role in helping Valen.

“I wanna be third-in-command!” Hilda cheerfully exclaims. Nobody objects to Hilda, not even Leaf. In Leaf's mind, there's no way Hilda will befriend Valen before she does, regardless of when Leaf approaches Valen.

“This shall be a rather complicated assignment, but we can not and will not surrender,” Arthur confidently states. 

”Rosa Force, it’s time to began our newest operation!” Rosa confidently announces. “Commence Saving Private Valen!"

“Let’s do this!” Everybody except Silver exclaims.

“Okay,” Silver casually replies with a faint smirk, much to the dismay of everybody except Rosa, who’s gotten herself hyped up over everybody helping Valen.

“Go Go Rosa Force Rangers! Super Awesome Rosa Force Rangers!” Rosa cheers with a broad grin.

"....What?" Silver asks, having noticed that everyone except Rosa's focusing on him. "The Rosa Force needs a calmer individual like me." 

* * *

An hour later, Rosa’s still in the living room, nervously rocking back and forth as she waits for Valen. Rosa’s aware of why Valen’s been busy, and she’s worried. “I hope he’s okay-“

Rosa cuts herself off when she hears an angry Valen grumbles outside as he unlocks his front door. “Fuck this! Fuck this! Fuck this! Fuck this! Why the hell have I not retired yet?!”

“Uh oh, somebody’s in a really sour mood,” Rosa nervously murmurs to herself as she hears the front door creaking open.

“This was just supposed to be routine intel! I thought I could still handle intel, so I wanted to do it!“ Valen spouts, as he enters his house, experiencing an elevated heart rate and pulse. "Instead, those damn flashbacks happened again!”

“V-Valen, are you...are you okay?" Rosa asks, her body starting to tremble.

“Why was Team Rocket even there?!” Valen screams at the top of his lunge. “Also, can these assholes stop fucking shooting at us?!"

Rosa becomes alarmed, rapidly standing up out of panic as a shudder flows through her. “W-Wait a minute?! Y-You were shot at?!” Rosa screams as her eyes slightly moisten. “A-Are you okay?! Did you get hit?! Answer me, please!”

Valen calms down, realizing that he was having his tirade in front of Rosa. Valen bows his head, ashamed at himself for acting this way in front of the girl he loves. After a minute of tense silence, Valen looks up at Rosa. “Sorry that you had to hear that,” Valen replies, giving Rosa a sad, forced smile. “I’m fine, so don’t worry. I wouldn’t be at home if I got hit.”

Rosa’s still worried, but she’s overcome with fury over Valen’s appalling attitude. Rosa’s body tenses up, her eyebrows angling downwards. “Seriously?! That’s it?! That’s all you have to say, Valen?!” Rosa snaps, fixating a indignant glare towards Valen. The normally happy girl is scowling at Valen, because this is a very big deal to her. “Only you'd act so causally about being shot at! You could have been killed!”

“Eh, shit happens,” Valen nonchalantly retorts, closing his eyes as he sits next Rosa on the sofa. Valen seemingly wants the subject to be dropped, which further infuriates Rosa.

“Don’t be so casual about this!” Rosa blurts out at the top of her lungs, overheating with rage as tears begin to stream down her cheeks. Rosa places her left hand over her aching heart. “What if you didn’t want through that door ever again?! What if your colleagues told me that you were killed?! Then what, Valen?! How would I be able to live my life if my world got shattered forever?!”

“Rosa’s I’m fine. I don’t get-“

“Valen, I already failed you once, because I never asked if you’re okay!” Rosa furiously screams, furrowing her eyebrows as tears continue to stream down her face. Rosa places her right hand over her tightening ribs. “Nothing has ever hurt me more than the realization that I could have lost you forever, and now you’re doing this to me! You just stroll in while having an outburst that made me concerned, and now you’re acting like being shot at isn’t a big deal?!”

“Rosa, calm down-“

“What the hell is the matter with you?! Why won’t you consider how I feel for once?!” Rosa demands, her voice having risen even further. “If this is how you want to behave, then maybe I shouldn’t move in with you and just return to Unova-“ Rosa cuts herself off, realizing what she just said.

Valen jerks his head backwards, his eyebrows drawing together and his eyes becoming watery as Rosa’s words echo within his mind. Valen struggles with what he should say, but he still makes an attempt to respond. "Y-You don’t m-mean any of that, r-right?” Valen is so distraught by Rosa’s words that his watery eyes start to drip a river of tears.

Rosa’s eyes widen as she gasps, mortified over the fact that she seems to have gone too far, ignoring her own declaration that Valen needs happiness and affection from her. Valen crying isn’t what she wanted. _“Oh gosh, please no! Why didn’t I think before I spoke?!”_ Rosa’s now overcome with panic, taking deep breaths while being on edge over what might happen next. She told him that she struggled to get mad at him, so did she just contradict herself?

Valen begins to feel intense heaviness in his limbs and muscles, remarking, “I see...so all of this really was too good to be true.” Valen lets out a hard sigh as he bows his down again. Valen's been stunned into silence as he wipes away his tears, his eyes having reddened as a result of his crying. What hurts Valen the most is the fact that Rosa snapped at him. The person who made him feel what genuine happiness is like was just screaming at him like he’s some kind of vile monster, just like Lars Wagner of Team Rocket. Rosa’s anger may have been justified to an extent, but those last words stung him like a Beedrill’s Twineedle. It stung him to the point where his gaze has become vacant. Valen’s crying ceased because now, he feels nothing but the darkness that’s his depression.

"H-Hey, a-are you okay?" Rosa asks Valen, dreading how Valen’s going to respond to this. “I didn’t mean-“

"Rosa, just do whatever you want to do," Valen cuts Rosa off, his voice devoid of all emotions. “It’s fine, because I’m a nobody to begin with.” Valen’s already decided that it’s best if he goes upstairs and leaves Rosa alone for the time being. As he slowly gets up, a horrified Rosa sees how vacant and empty Valen’s gaze is, causing her to out an even loud gasp as she places her right hand over her gaping mouth. Sure, she was furious that Valen acted like being shot at wasn’t a big deal, but she was furious because she deeply cares for him. Now, that original meaning appears to be lost.

Rosa glances downward, deeply regretful over what she had caused. After about a minute has passed, Rosa lifts her head up and tries to reason with Valen. “W-Wait, V-Valen, I’m sorry!” Rosa jumps from the sofa in an attempt to catch up to him. “I said that without thinking! I didn’t mean to hurt-“ Rosa’s cut off when Valen slams his room’s door shuts. An eerie silence envelops the entire house.

After a few seconds of total silence, Rosa’s fury returns. This time, she’s furious at herself. “W-What have I done to him?!” Rosa looks down at the palms of her hands, her tears coming back like an overflowing river. “I didn’t mean to hurt him...I got angry because I was really worried about him...I made it even worse! I'm supposed to be leading the charge to help Valen! How could I say something so cruel to someone who's so nice to me?!"

Rosa looks at the diamond line necklace that Valen got her, which she has worn as much as possible since that day. The emerald with Serperior engravings emits a magnificent sparkle, like the necklace itself is reminding Rosa that Valen will go to great lengths just to make sure her normal mood never evaporates. Valen’s done so much for her, and even spent seven thousand dollars this necklace just to make her happy, and she repays him by hurting him to the point where he looks depressed? Rosa wants to run up to Valen’s room and apologize profusely, but she’s been immobilized by shame and sorrow. Again, she did it again. She hurt the person that means the world to her. Lars may be a sociopathic sadist, but was he right about her all along? Is she a vile monster just like him?

Then, Rosa feels a surge of fiery determination within her, walking to the staircase. Rosa furrows her eyebrows and presses her lips together. Her entire body’s already burned up with a passionate desire to fight off Valen’s relapses, no matter what it takes. Rosa recalls that she made a promise that Valen will never fall deep into despair ever again, and now she can put her words into action. Rosa confidently walks up the staircase, stating, “I’m done running like a coward. I’ll fix this right here, right now."

Rosa slowly approached Valen’s room, only to realize that Valen has left the door unlocked. The door creaks as she opens it, worried over Valen’s potential reaction. “V-Valen? C-Can I come in?”

“Of course, you don’t need to ask,” Valen replies as he lies down on his bed. “Eventually, this is going to be your room too.” Valen’s depression relapse still lingers, feeling hollowness in his chest that contradicts itself via him feeling tense and heavy at the same time. However, he’s not about to take a drastic action that he’ll eventually regret. He’s going to hear Rosa out, no matter what she has to say.

As she enters the room, Rosa's taken aback by Valen’s change in demeanor. She accidentally hurt him, yet there’s not an ounce of rage emitting from him. There’s not a single hint of sorrow in his voice. There’s not a single tear streaming down his face. Why’s she harder on herself that the person whom she accidentally hurt? Is it calmness, is it forgiveness, or is it depression? Is it a mix of two or all three?

A worried Rosa takes a deep breath before speaking. “Um, s-sorry for y-yelling at you,” Rosa says, biting her lower lip. “I’m glad you’re okay. I was just worried about you, that’s all. I never meant to hurt you. I’m so sorry, Valen.” Rosa’s determined to remember that shouting at someone like Valen will only make things worse. Valen’s a lost and confused person, not a bad person.

“It’s alright,” Valen replies, feeling a sense of regret surging through him. “I’m sorry for making you worry so much. I shouldn’t have brushed off something as serious as that towards you.”

Valen’s gotten so used to being lonely, serious, and gloomy that he needs a warm, gentle, and loving touch. Thus, Rosa decides to start over, slowly walking towards Valen. Rosa sits down on the edge of Valen’s bed, sporting a somber smile. Rosa kisses Valen on the lips while using her right hand to lift up Valen’s left hand, grasping it with a tender touch. Rosa fixates a loving gaze at Valen, using her left hand to caress his right check. “Hey sweetie, it’s going to be okay. Everything’s going to be okay. I promise you that you’ll be okay,” Rosa softly consoles Valen. “I’ll always love you and I’ll never leave your side.” Rosa’s affectionate gestures and words soothe Valen, causing the tension within him to slowly dissipate. Valen feels a surge of warmth flowing inside of him, sporting the faintest of soft smiles. While Valen thinks it sounds a tad bit ludicrous, it's like he can hear and feel the genuine affection and consideration that Rosa has for him.

“Can you please tell me more about how has the war affected you?” Rosa softly requests, kissing on the top of his head. “I need to know, no matter how much it breaks my heart. I don’t want you to suffer anymore, and I hate seeing you cry.”

Valen nods, having decided that it’s time for Rosa to know about how the war affected him. Despite his reluctance, it’s too important to keep it a secret from her anymore. “What you witnessed was a relapse of both PTSD and depression. I was diagnosed with both shortly after my honorable discharge, and it forced me to cease the task that I’m keeping a secret from everybody else, which I was already starting to second guess,” Valen somberly explains. “I thought about ending it all twice, but I never attempted it. However, my Pokémon were so worried that they hid all of my weapons without telling me. To tell you the truth, this shit is definitely why my outlook on life became so bleak, why I became distant, why I struggle with trust, and other problems I’ve got.“

Rosa wants to cry again, but she fights back her tears for Valen’s sake. “I need you to keep going," Rosa says, her eyes meeting Valen's eyes. "Don't worry, sweetie. As long as I have you by my side, I'll be okay."

A feeling of regret envelops Valen, as he doesn’t want to hurt Rosa by telling her all of this. However, Valen’s decided that he’ll respect her wishes. "The reason why I was able to avoid it was because...I thought about the people and Pokémon my fallen comrades left remind. I didn't want anybody to go through that kind of pain. Plus, I....I feel like my fallen comrades gave me the strength to fight back, so I didn't meet the same fate as them.”

“You’ve been through a lot, Valen, and I made it even worse,” Rosa laments. “I’m so sorry, Valen.”

"Don't worry about it," Valen reassures. "I know you mean well, regardless of what messed up mind tell me."

"Can you please explain a little bit more about your trauma?" Rosa asks, kissing Valen on the lips again so he's further at ease. "Please?"

"There are permanent scars on my left from machine gun fire," Valen admits. "I dunno if being wounded in combat caused any trauma. I made a fully recovery physically, but I’m obviously a mess emotionally."

"....What flashback did you have?"

“In this case, the memories that got stirred up was when special forces raided Citadark Island, only to come under heavy gunfire.” Valen explains. "It won't happen again, but it's my fault."

"Please don't blame yourself, Valen."

"....I have a hard time turning down tasks relating to my duty, and I thought that I could handle this." Valen briefly closes his eyes and lets out a heavy sigh. "This is why I got sidelined in the first place. I guess I haven't been able to accept that.”

"....Hey, can you also tell me why you became an assassin?" Rosa asks, grasping his right hand even tighter as she continues to caress his right cheek. "You don’t need to go into details it you don’t feel comfortable, but can you at least tell me why? Please, Valen?"

Valen's taken aback by this sudden request, but he has come to trust Rosa so much that he’s now okay with telling her. “I became an assassin after seeing how many innocent people and Pokémon were killed,” Valen explains. “All of us swore an eye for an eye that day. We were going to kill one scumbag for every innocent soul killed by the regime, so we became an assassination unit. I've taken out thirty one people directly involved with the war crimes, crimes against humanity, and crimes against Pokémon committed in Orre.

“Thank you for opening up to me about what you’ve been through,” Rosa says. “I feel like you’ve got more to tell me, so please tell me if and when you’re ready.”

Valen nods, replying, ”Thanks for listening, Rosa.”

”Anytime, sweetie.” Rosa softly replies. “I’m glad this got sorted out.”

Then, Rosa gets a text message on her phone, which is in her right pocket. “Yay, Melanie and Hilda are here!” Rosa screams in elation. “They asked me if they come over! I hope that’s okay with you!”

“I don’t mind,” Valen replies, sporting an affectionate smile as he pats Rosa on her head, much to her delight. “This is now your house too.”

“Tee-hee, I’m soooo happy that I can live with you!” Rosa squeals in elation.

“The feeling is mutual,” Valen replies, kissing Rosa on the top of her head.

“Let’s start Operation Settle In Rosa as soon as possible, kaaaay?” Rosa requests.

“Alright, will do,” Valen replies, sporting a tender smile. “Also, thanks again for asking about what happened to me. It feels good to finally tell somebody about what I’ve been through.”

“You idiot, I can’t let you keep suffering like this,” Rosa counters in a soothing tone, sporting a tender smile as she caresses Valen’s left cheek with her right hand. “I'll be the bravest woman that I can be for your sake, and for mine."

Valen knows that Rosa wants what’s best for him, no matter what his depression tells him. As grateful as he feels towards Rosa, Valen’s decided to keep the fun train moving by busting out some smooth talk. “It’s a good thing you’re here, because my room needed heating up.”

“If we didn’t have guests, I’d pin you down and give you a barrage of Sweet Kisses!” Rosa squeals in elation. “You’ll get them the instant we’re alone again, kaaaaay?”

“Bring it on," Valen teases.

* * *

Melanie and Hilda wait for Valen and Rosa to come outside. Melanie feels a little bit worried, while Hilda feels a little bit nervous. Rosa may have said that he won’t mind, but they won’t know for sure unless Valen says so himself. A few minutes later, both Valen and Rosa step outside the house, the front steps creaking as the two of them stroll down.

"Hi, I'm glad you two could make it," Rosa tells Melanie and Hilda with a friendly smile, glancing to her right to see how Valen will respond.

"Hey, you two," Valen greets, unsure what's going on.

“We asked Rosa if we could come down here,” Melanie explains.

“I hope that’s alright with you,” Hilda chimes in.

“It’s fine, but what’s up?” Valen asks with his eyebrows slightly raised upwards.

Both Melanie and Hilda breathe a sigh of relief over Valen’s response. Then, Melanie walks over to Valen, sporting a gentle smile. Without saying a word, she wraps her arms around Valen’s neck, giving him a tender embrace.

Valen’s taken aback at first, but his mouth curves into a smile a few seconds later, as he’s moved that Melanie actually embraced him. "To what do I owe the honor, boss lady?” Valen jokes, embracing Melanie back by placing his left hand on the back of her head, while placing his right hand on her back.

“Shut your mouth and let me show you some affection, you colossal doofus,” Melanie playfully counters, her voice emitting a soothing tone. “After what I saw, you needed a hug from me too. I realized that you’ve gotten so accustomed to a serious, lonely life that you’re no longer able to open up, let alone trust and befriend others. At least, not easily.”

“Noooo, really?” Valen sarcastically asks with a playful grin. “That’s such a mind blowing revelation that will shake the scientific world to its core. You’re such a genius for figuring out such a difficult thing, Detective Ding Dong.”

“I said shut your mouth,” Melanie counters, playfully smacking Valen on the back of his head. 

“Thanks, Melanie,” Valen says with a warm smile, emitting an aura of gratitude towards his childhood friend. “Thanks for everything you’ve done for me over the years. I still need to repay you for taking the time to look for me, as it resulted in a positive domino effect."

“That’s what friends are for, you doofus," Melanie counters, playfully smacking Valen on the back of his head a second time. Melanie and Valen let go of each other, both sporting a gentle, friendly smile. “When you’re ready to open up, you better tell me everything, got it? That’s how you can repay me!”

“Alright, I suppose that I can try-“

“Aieeeee, I just realized that I totally blew my chance of being the first to hug my celebrity crush!” Hilda wails, jumping up and down. “Nooooooooooooooo!”

“Be quiet, you crazy fangirl,” Valen retorts, still sporting a friendly smile as he approaches a flustered Hilda. Then, Hilda calms down as she feels warmth surging through her body. Much to the surprise of all three girls, Valen has wrapped his right arm around Hilda’s waist and pulled her closer to embrace her. Hilda’s at a complete loss for words as her face begins to redden. “Here’s a thank you from both Valen and The Black Reaper,” Valen gently tells Hilda, who’s bushing immensely out of nervousness.

Hilda becomes elated, wrapping her arms around Valen’s neck while squealing, “Kyaaaaaaaaa! I got a hug from The Black Reaper! I can’t believe this is reality!” Hilda squeals. “This is soooo amazing! Hehehehehehe, Leaf and Kris are going to cry so much that I can make soup from their tears!”

“I’m sorry for being rude to you,” Valen apologizes, sporting a sad smile with a hint of regret as he lets go of Hilda and vice versa. “It wasn’t the right thing to do.” 

“Don’t worry about it! It’s water under the bridge!” Hilda cheerfully exclaims, clasping her hands next to her left cheek as she jumps up and down. “I’m sorry that I underestimated you as a Pokémon Trainer! That was sooooo totally not a smart move!”

“You actually want to be my friend, even though I was a jerk to you.” Valen smirks. "Heh, I can't say that I was expecting this twist."

“We gotta start somewhere, Valen,” Hilda says with an inviting, friendly smile. “Whenever you feel ready, tell me more about your past, okay?”

“I’ll try," Valen replies.

“That’s good enough for me!” Hilda grins. “Just remember that you don’t need to be so serious! It’s okay to be happy and have fun!”

Valen nods, stating, “Even though it’s now pointless to do this, I wanna correct another mistake that I made that day.” Valen offers Hilda a fist bump, sporting a friendly smile. "It's your boy, Valen. Nice to meet ya.”

Hilda’s jaw slightly drops, amazed that this is the same person that was rude to her. Hilda stands still, having gone silent due to a loss of words. After several seconds, Hilda’s mouth curves into a broad grin, and she accepts Valen’s fist bump. “Nice to meet you, Valen! Let’s be close friends forever!”

“He actually gave his name, expect he’s a bit too late,” Melanie chuckles to herself. A feeling of ease has enveloped Melanie. She truly believes that Valen will heal more and more as time goes on.

By this point, Rosa’s now extremely jealous and annoyed that Valen has yet to pay any attention to her, despite Valen having paid attention to her before Melanie and Hilda arrived. “Nooooooooo! He’s mine!” Rosa wails, stomping her feet like an angry Ponyta.

“You might wanna step back,” Valen whispers to Hilda, noticing Rosa is preparing to charge at him.

“Good idea,” Hilda whispers back, stepping back several feet as Rosa rapidly charges towards Valen, hissing at Melanie and Hilda like an Ekans.

“Mineeeeeee!” A frowning Rosa wails with her eyes shut, wrapping her arms around Valen’s midsection as tight as she can without hurting him. “My Valey!” Once again, Rosa hisses like an Ekans at the other two girls, causing them to faintly laugh. Even Valen can’t help but laugh at Rosa’s behavior.

“Do you have to be so adorable all the time?” Valen gives Rosa an affectionate smile as he places his right hand on Rosa’s back, causing her to sport a sweet smile.

“Tee-hee, that’s part of my charm!” Rosa moves her arms upwards, placing them around Valen’s neck.

“You’re making me not want to let go,” Valen jokes as he places his left arm on the back of Rosa’s head.

“This is soooo totally my OTP!” Hilda gushes.

“Join the club, Hilda!” Melanie and Hilda excitedly exchange a hi-five.

Valen looks up at both Melanie and Hilda, sporting a pleased smile. “This pain in the ass is moving in with me.”

“Wow, that’s awesome!” Hilda gushes.

“Good, because you need her with you at all times,” Melanie teases.

“Tee-hee, you’re both accurate!” Rosa cheerfully exclaims.

“Since you two came all the way, why not come inside?” Valen asks, pointing behind him towards his house with his left index finger, only for Rosa to playfully yank it back because she wants Valen to keep both hands on her. Valen faintly laughs as Rosa affectionately smacks Valen on his left cheek as "punishment” for trying to let go of her.

“Of course!” Melanie happily exclaims. “I’d love to, big guy!”

“R-Really?” A wide-eyed Hilda lets out a loud gasp. Hilda never expected Valen to open up this quickly. “Y-You’re actually inviting me into your house?!”

Valen nods with a friendly smile. "Are you gonna come inside, or do you wanna stand there like a overthinking Xatu?"

“Hilda, when somebody moves my Valey sweetie, he starts to open up to them like he’s using Agility or Extreme Speed!" Rosa gleefully exclaims. "That’s why I’m officially his girlfriend again! I speak from experience, kaaaay?”

Hilda nods to Rosa, then fixates a friendly gaze towards Valen. “Sure, I’d love to come inside!” Hilda's eyes gleam with happiness and excitement, because this guy was the absolute last person she'd thought would be her friend. It turns out that looks can truly be deceiving, because the Valen’s surprisingly friendly once he starts to ease up on being serious.

“Alright, let’s go,” Valen replies. Then, Valen glances downwards to Rosa. “Speaking of letting go, shouldn’t we let go of each other right about now?”

Rosa lets out a loud cry, frowning over what Valen’s just asked her. “Nooooooo! Don’t even think about it letting go of me! I’m not ready to let go of you just yet!”

Valen lets out a deep sigh, only to smile in amusement afterwards. "Crazy girl."

"I'm your crazy girl, Valen!" Rosa giggles.

* * *

Much to Valen’s relief, Rosa did allow him to let go of her a couple of minutes later, but Rosa gave him a very strict condition. Thus, Valen and Rosa hold hands while walking inside the house. Valen acts indifferent, having placed his left hand in his pocket. Melanie rolls her eyes at Rosa, but neither Valen's indifference nor Melanie's irritation last long.

“Rosa Force!” Both Rosa and Hilda triumphantly shout, both sporting a wide grin. Rosa and Hilda are brimming with such large quantities of elation that they start singing together, causing Valen and Melanie to sport amused smiles. 

“There’s noooo time to question my moves! I stick to the path that I chooseeee!” Rosa happily sings.

“Me and my friends are gonna do it right! You’ll never see us run away from a fight!” Hilda joyfully sings.

“To be a singer is my dream, and all I’ve gotta do is believeeeee! I believeeeee!”

“I’ve got a chance to win! I’m on my way to victory!”

“I can help my sweetie if I just believeeeee! Rosa Force!”

“I’m on a Master Quest and I want the whole world to see that I believeeeee!” Rosa and Hilda cheerfully sing at the same time. “I’m gonna be the very best, cuz all I’ve got to do is believe in meeeee! Rosa Force!” Rosa and Hilda give each other a hi-five in elation. “We pulled it off perfectly, cuz we rock!”

“You both sing well,” Melanie compliments.

“I second that,” Valen chimes in.

“Thanks!” Rosa and Hilda cheerfully exclaim at the same time.

Rosa tilts her head back. ”I’m the better singer, though!” Rosa proudly proclaims, pointing to herself with her left hand.

“I agree, so she can have the win here.” Hilda smiles.

“Hilda, I want you to meet the rest of my Pokémon team.” Valen sports a friendly smile on his face as he glances behind him towards Hilda. “My backyard is set up for Pokémon to relax and hangout, but there’s enough space for people too.”

“That’s soooo totally awesome!” Hilda gushes. “You need to meet the rest of my team as well!”

Also, you need to make sure that you continue to remember my other name,” Valen tells Hilda, brimming with confidence as he becomes nostalgic about his past persona. “The Name’s Reaper. The Black Reaper.”

“Kyaaaaaaaaaaaa, he said the line!” Rosa, Hilda, and Melanie squeal, only for Melanie to feel embarrassed immediately afterwards.

“Dammit, it happened again!” Melanie cries out in frustration. “I need to be the calm one!”

"You can't fight the allure of The Black Reaper!" Rosa giggles, while Hilda nods in agreement.

As for Hilda, she's taken a keen interest in Valen's taste of interior décor. “Heeey, show me the inside of your house later!”

“Will do, Hilda," Valen responds, giving Hilda a thumbs up with his right hand.

"Thanks, your house looks soooo coool!” Hilda exclaims as she excitedly looks around at everything Valen's got within his living room. Out of everything she sees, Hilda likes the pearly white floral patters on the black walls the most.

* * *

Valen, Rosa, Melanie, and Hilda stand in Valen's backyard porch. Valen’s addressing his Pokémon, all of whom are standing close to him. Meanwhile, Rosa and Melanie are feeling content about the situation. As for Hilda, she’s shocked at the enormity of this backyard, but she quickly becomes jovial again. “Wow, look at this awesome backyard!” Hilda cheerfully exclaims as she rapidly moves from side to side, eyeing everything she sees. “It’s soooo big!”

“That’s what she said," Valen jokes with a devious smile, causing both Rosa and Melanie to sweat nervously over how Hilda might respond to Valen's favorite joke.

Hilda bursts out laughing, exclaiming, “That’s a good one! You’re funny!”

“H-Huh?!” Valen’s eyes widen, sporting a slack-jawed expression. "S-Seriously, you actually found that funny?!"

"Yeeeep!" Hilda laughs.

“W-Woah, H-Hilda actually laughed at Valen’s meanie joke?!” Rosa asks, jumping back a few feet in shock. “Brendan was obvious, but H-Hilda?!”

“Oh, like you didn’t laugh at me after I unknowingly walked into his trap?” Melanie chastises Rosa as she places her hands on her hips.

A frowning Rosa turns towards Melanie, wailing, “Roar, hiss, grrr! Rosa squish you! Rosa mad! Rosa smash! Rosa-“

“Rosa, don’t make me get the whoopee cushion,” Valen warns, pointing towards his snickering Gardevoir. “The whoopee cushion’s her favorite prank.”

“R-Rosa will be g-good!” Rosa exclaims as she sweats nervously.

“Whoopee cushion?” Hilda and Melanie ask in confusion

Rosa is about to say something to Melanie and Hilda, but her jovial self returns when Valen pats her head.

Hilda’s feeling a bit nervous, because Valen’s Salamence and Typhlosion were very menacing towards her on the day that she first saw them and met their trainer. Hilda takes a deep breath, mustering up the courage to walk towards them. “Hey, sorry that I made you two mad,” Hilda gently tells Salamence and Typhlosion. The two Pokémon respond with placid smiles, much to Hilda’s relief and delight. “Now let’s meet the other Pokémon!” Hilda happily exclaims. However, Hilda realizes that there's only five Pokémon, not six. “Salamence, Typhlosion, Gardevoir, Golisopod, Luxray...I could have sworn that there was a Gengar with them just now.”

Then, Hilda feels like something’s eerily watching her from behind, and the sudden chill that just surrounded her makes her feel very uneasy. Hilda nervously turns her head, sweating profusely. The instant that Hilda sees Valen’s Gengar, the mischievous ghost jumps in her face, letting out a high pitched scream. Hilda’s so startled that she almost falls down. “Aieeeeeeeeeeee! G-G-Gengar!” As a flustered, frowning Hilda jumps up and down, Gengar and Gardevoir roar in laughter over the former’s successful antic.

Hilda calms down, taking a deep breath as she reverts back to her usual self. Hilda's radiating happiness like she's the sun in the cloudless sky, beaming rays of light down on everybody and everything. She's overjoyed that Valen seems to be easing up on defense towards her, and she can't wait to show Valen and Melanie the rest of her team. “Alright, here comes all of my Pokémon!” First, Hilda calls out her Emboar and Beartic. Then, Hilda calls out her Braviary and Umbreon. Finally, Hilda calls out her Garchomp and Starmie. Valen’s impressed with Hilda's team, and Rosa's excited to see her friend's whole team out.

“A G-Garchomp?!” Melanie’s mouth slightly falls open. “Y-You managed to tame a Garchomp?!” Just like Salamence, Hydreigon, and Tyranitar, Garchomp is another Pokémon infamous for being difficult to control, meaning those who have tamed one are exceptionally powerful trainers.

“Yeeeep, I caught him as a Gible in Sinnoh!” Hilda joyfully exclaims, as her Garchomp turns to say hi to Valen's Salamence. “I’ve traveled to Kalos, Hoenn, Sinnoh, Johto, Kanto, and now Calvana!”

"I’m mad at you,” Valen remarks towards Hilda, faking a scowl as he watches Hilda’s Starmie introduce itself to his Golisopod.

“H-Huh?”

“Tee-hee, he’s sooooo naughty that it’s soooo cute!” Rosa gushes, knowing what Valen’s up too. “I love my Valey sweetie soooo much!”

“We could’ve had a duel between dragons,” Valen pouts, pretending to be sad that he didn't get to pit his Salamence against Hilda's Garchomp. “We aren’t friends anymore.” Valen’s Gengar and Gardevoir murmur with laughter over how gullible this human named Hilda is. At the same time, Emboar, Beartic, Braviary, and Garchomp are flabbergasted at how gullible their trainer can be.

“Aieeeeeee! S-Sorry! P-Please don’t unfriend meeee!” Hilda frantically shouts.

“Chill out,” Melanie tells Hilda, faintly laughing. “He’s trolling you.”

“Yep, I’m just kidding.” Valen laughs, much to Hilda’s annoyance and relief.

Meanwhile, Hilda’s Umbreon and Valen's Luxray have bonded over brooding, and are currently brooding for some unknown reason.

Valen glances to his right, giving Rosa a mischievous smile. “However, there’s somebody here who definitely needs to come clean.”

“H-Huh?!” Rosa begins to sweat nervously a second time, while Hilda and Melanie silently enjoy this situation.

“Tell me the complete truth about Hydreigon, Rosa,” Valen demands, now sporting a mischievous grin.

“W-Wha-“ Rosa’s face reddens becomes even more flustered; she’s just noticed Valen's Salamence approaches her, smirking as he eagerly waits to here what Rosa's goy to say. Hilda’s Garchomp’s also approaches Rosa, cackling as he awaits her response. 

“The real second reason was because Hilda’s a rival that kicked your ass more than a couple of times with her Garchomp, isn’t it?” Valen asks, faintly laughing.

A frowning Rosa closes her eyes and jumps up and down in panic. “Nooooooooo, I’m busted!”

Hilda lets out a triumphant laugh, delighted that Valen figured out who's the real queen in Rosa's circle of friends. At least, that's what Hilda thinks of herself. “Yeeep, I was the rival Rosa wanted to beat, but I kicked her butt! Hahahahahahaha!” Hilda’s Garchomp lets out a prideful roar to confirm what his trainer had just said. Then, Garchomp returns to his new bromance with Salamence.

Rosa’s mouth curves into a lopsided grin. “Valen, you missed something.”

Hilda begins to sweat nervously. “Wait! Wait! I take it back! I take it back! Aieeeeeeeeeeee, please don't mention that battle again!"

”I beat Hilda 3-0 at the Pokémon World Tournament!” Rosa boisterously laughs. "Eelektross, Hydreigon, and Serperior, except I didn't even need to use Serperior!"

”Aieeeeeee! That was soooo embarrassing!” Hilda’s face reddens as she shuts her eyes. "All three of my Pokémon got afflicted by status conditions!"

"Hahahahaha, Eelektross did Garchomp in from the start with Toxic!" Rosa gloats.

”That’s my girl.” Valen pats a grinning Rosa on the head.

Meanwhile, a perplexed Typhlosion and Braviary stare at Luxray and Umbreon, attempting to figure out what their respective teammates are brooding about this time. The only reason why these two Pokémon and their respective teammate know the word brooding is because both of their trainers have used that word numerous times in front of them.

Hilda becomes a little more serious as she turns to look directly at Valen, asking, “Wait a minute, you already consider me your friend?”

Valen nods, sporting a friendly smile. “Like I said, even that simple question meant a lot to me, and I appreciate that you came along with Melanie,” Valen admits, emitting an aura of gratitude. “So yeah, you’re my friend.”

Hilda closes her eyes out of happiness, screaming, “Yes, I did it! I befriended Valen!” Hilda jumps up and down, forming fists with both of her hands and extending them up and down.

“You’re actually putting in a little more effort,” Melanie remarks with an approving smile. “Not bad, Valen. Not bad at all.”

“Thanks, Empress Bossy Butt,” Valen jokes.

“I hate you,” Melanie retorts with a playful, warm smile as she flicks Valen on his forehead.

“I know," Valen teases with an amused smile.

“Oh, I forgot!” Hilda laughs as she takes out her phone to call Leaf, planning to call Kris afterwards. Hilda dials Leaf’s number, and after a couple of rings, Leaf picks up. “Hey, Leaf!” Hilda sports a devious smile.

“Hiii, Hilda!” Leaf cheerfully exclaims from the other end of the line. “How’s our operation looking so far?”

“Rosa’s plan is sooooo excellent! Guess who gave me a hug and called me his friend!” Hilda squeals.

Leaf freaks out, realizing that either she made a mistake in not tagging along, or that her plan of splitting everybody into pairs was a mistake. “Noooooooo! I wanted to befriend Mr. Meanie first!” Leaf wails. “On top of that, you got a hug?! Noooooo fair!”

“Your tears are sooooo delicious!” Hilda boisterously laughs. “Cry, cry more, cry all day! Cry, you plebeian, cry! Bow before Expert Trainer Hilda! Ahahahahahahahaha!”

“Fight me, Lady Meanie! One vs one with our fists! Best two out of three!” Leaf growls. “Ding ding ding!”

“Bring it on, sore loser Leaf!” Hilda laughs with a smug grin. “Ahahahahahahahaha, cry peasant! Cry more! Ahahahahahahahaha!”

“Enjoy that argument, because I have a phone call to make as well,” Valen tells Melanie and Rosa as he strolls off, taking his phone out of his right pocket in the process.

"Ooooh, who’re you gonna call?!" Rosa giggles.

Valen looks back at Rosa with a placid smile. “If I befriended Hilda, then I have to reach out to Skyla, don’t I?” Valen asks Rosa. “I’ve known her for longer, so it wouldn’t feel right to not reach out to her.”

“Good idea, Valey!” Rosa’s glowing with joy, as she recalls that Skyla really misses him.

“I haven’t heard that name in a while," Melanie admits with an approving smile.

Valen dials Skyla's number, and after three rings, Skyla picks up. “Sup, Skyla.”

“V-Valen?!” Skyla asks, stunned that her old friend’s finally resurfaced.

“Yep, it’s been a while,” Valen replies.

“That’s an understatement! How’ve you been!” Skyla happily replies

“Eh, kinda better nowadays,” Valen replies.

“Soooo Valen, are you still content with that puny girl Rosa, or you finally ready for a real woman like meeee?” Skyla flirtatiously asks, catching Valen off-guard.

“W-What?!” A dumbfounded Valen asks, his mouth falling open. Valen's completely forgotten that when made his move on Rosa, his smooth talk was apparently so good that he accidentally wooed Skyla too. Also, Valen's forgotten that Skyla likes to flirt with him.

“Skyla, I heard that!” Rosa screams, her eyes bulging out in anger. "Witch! Skyla's a witch! She's trying to cast a love spell on Valen!"

“Valen, don’t you wish your girlfriend was hot like me?!” Skyla lets out a cocky laugh.

“W-Why did I call you again?!” Valen’s face reddens out of nervousness as Rosa becomes more irate.

“It’s because deep down, you wanna pilot me." Skyla provocatively replies, purring like a Persian.

Valen lets out a groan, holding back Rosa as she attempts to snatch his phone to give Skyla a piece of her mind. Rosa wildly flails her arms and legs up and down, screaming, “Lemme at her! Rosa mad! Rosa smash! Rosa squish stupid birdbrain girl!”

“Rosa's best girl, so absolutely not,” Valen tells Skyla, which causes an enraged Rosa to affectionately grin, calming down for a brief moment.

“Ooooh, is that a challenge to prove Rosa’s got nothing on me?” Skyla giggles.

Rosa grabs Valen’s right arm and pulls it away from his right ear. “I can hear every word, Skyla!” Rosa screams into the phone, her face reddening like an angry Primeape. “Valen’s mine! He approached me, not you! Back off, you birdbrained halfwit! I’ll kick your ass so hard you won’t even have one to sit on anymoreeeee!”

“Pfffft, girl please! You’re nowhere near my level! I’m waaaay cuter, waaaay hotter, waaay cooler, waaay more lively, and waaay more like Valen’s type than you’ll ever be!” Skyla boisterously laughs, causing Rosa to hiss like an Ekans again.

Rosa tilts her head back and bursts out in hysterics. "Of course I’m nowhere near your level! I tower above you in strength, cuteness, beauty, liveliness, confidence, funniness, coolness, sassiness, and flirtatiousness! You’ll never dethrone this queen, you birdbrain!”

“In any case, I’ll explain everything to you when I’m ready,” Valen tells Skyla, wrapping his left arm around Rosa’s waist. Immediately, Rosa goes silent as she sports a warm, affectionate smile, resting her head up against Valen’s left shoulder.

“Listen, I’m just happy to hear from you again,” Skyla replies.

“I’ll figure out a way to make it up to you,” Valen affirms. 

“Oh, you don’t have to do thaaaat!” Skyla giggles.

“I insist,” Valen replies.

Hmmmmmmm, how about you try to help me get in touch with that the handsome hottie know as The Black Reaper? Kyaaaaa, he was soooo coool!” Skyla gushes.

 _“Oh no, I forgot that she’s yet another fangirl. Why is it that every girl that I meet or know is a fangirl of my past persona?”_ Valen mentally groans to himself, attempting to smack his left palm into his face. However, Rosa grabs his arm and forces him to keep it around her waist. Once more, Rosa affectionately smacks Valen on his left cheek as “punishment” for trying to let go of her.

“Surely, you must have an idea where I can find him! You two have to be brothers or something!” Skyla gushes.

“What kind of logic is that, Lady Bird Poop Brain?!” Rosa boisterously laughs, tilting her head back. “You think you can top the queen with that kind of logic?!”

Valen’s amused by Skyla’s logic, and he decides to have a little fun. “I do know where to find him. I even know his real identity.”

“Oooooh, tell meeeeee!” Skyla giggles. "Tell me everything, Valen!"

“I’m not telling.” Sporting a devious smile, Valen makes a “shhhh” gesture towards Rosa, then makes a second “shhhh” gesture to Melanie and Hilda. Rosa gives Valen a cocky wink and a kiss on the lips, Hilda places her right hand over her mouth as she laughs, while Melanie folds her arms and smirks in amusement. “Let’s see if you can figure it out yourself.”

“I accept your challenge!” Skyla proudly proclaims.

As Valen and Skyla continue to chat, and as Rosa continues to yell at Skyla, Valen can’t help but ponder the irony of what happened today. Out of everyone in Rosa’s circle of friends that he didn’t already know, it’s Hilda. It's Hilda, the person that he mocked, insulted and intimidated, that ended up being the first to ask him a personal question. For Valen, the lesson he learned is quite the interesting one-the person you expect to get along with the least just might become a friend of yours down the line.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, there you go. Valen finally opened up about how rough he's had it, excluding the tirade he had in Chapter 12. Aren't you happy that Rosa and Valen made up even quicker this time? 
> 
> I needed something to show his PTSD, hence why Valen came home having a much more serious outburst. I decided not to include an actual scene of what he's ranting about.
> 
> As for why Hilda has a Garchomp, it's because I wanted Hilda to have a pseudo, and Rosa already has a Hydreigon. Thus, I went with Garchomp. Speaking of Hilda, did you expect her to laugh at Valen’s favorite joke?
> 
> Also, I’m not sure if Skyla will make an in person appearance, but I hope you got a laugh out of her conversation with Valen(and Rosa). Lemme know if you’d like to see Skyla make an in person appearance.
> 
> Revisions include cuts, extended dialogue, dialogue/text alterations, and added details.


	19. I’m Fortunate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Implied/referenced graphic violence and implied/referenced canonical character deaths are present here.

Valen and Rosa have started the process of moving the rest of the latter's belongings into the former's house. Rosa's currently sitting on one of Valen's sofas, surrounded by unopened boxes that contain the rest of her belongings. Valen's currently on the phone in the dining room, leaving Rosa to ponder to herself. Rosa should be in a merry mood, but her mind is haunted by the harsh words she said to Valen, despite the two of them making up quickly.

Valen saunters into the living room, sporting a pleased smile. “The furniture you wanted to bring along should be here by tomorrow at the latest,” Valen informs Rosa.

“Thanks, and Hilda’s on her way to help as well.” Rosa sports a sad smile, her her bowed in shame. Rosa's kicking herself over what happened yesterday, so much so that she’s struggling to even look at Valen.

Valen's smile evaporates when he notices Rosa’s somber demeanor, asking, “Everything okay, Rosa?”

“Y-Yeah, but I still feel awful about yesterday,” Rosa frets, fighting back her urge to cry as she bites her lower lip. “I’m sorry that I treated you like an awful person, when you’re anything but awful. How...how could I have said something so cruel to you?”

Valen’s mouth curves into an adoring smile. “Come here, Valen wants his first hug of the day.” Valen closes his eyes as wraps his right arm around Rosa’s waist, pulling her as close to himself as possible. “Rosa, you aren’t a perfect person, but you’ll always be best girl to me,” Valen softly tells Rosa, kissing her on the top of her head. “That’s never gonna change, and I know that you’ll always mean well for me.”

Valen’s words and gestures cause warmth to surge within Rosa's body. Rosa sports a sweet smile as the tension within her mind starts to dissipate. Rosa wraps her arms around Valen’s neck. “Thanks, my sweetie.”

“I’m also sorry for yesterday,” Valen apologizes, deeply regretting his outburst. “I should’ve been more careful with what I said.”

“I can’t blame a traumatized person for having relapses, my sweetie,” Rosa lovingly whispers into Valen’s left ear.

“Thanks, Rosa.” Valen's about to let go of Rosa, but when he sees that Rosa has become somber again, he changes his mind and continues to embrace her. Valen senses that there’s something else that he needs to comfort Rosa about. Rosa seems to be lamenting over something, but what?

Rosa hasn’t let go of Valen either, and after several more seconds of silence, Rosa breaks the ice. “While I was thinking about your struggles, it made me...remember something that didn’t have a happy ending,” Rosa frets. “It’s one of the main reasons why....why I’m so afraid of losing you.”

Valen uses his left hand to caress Rosa on the top of her head, which further dissipates the tension within her mind. “C’mon, you can tell me, can’t you?” Valen softly asks. Then, it hits Valen what Rosa is referring to, bowing his head down in sadness. “...It’s about Wes and Rui, isn’t it? From Team Snagem to helping to stop Cipher....Wes had just started to settle down with Rui, then the war happened. How he went from noble soldier to gangster remains a mystery.”

Rosa nods, sporting a gloomy frown. “One reason why I’m so worried about you is because of what happened to Wes, your former friend and comrade,” Rosa’s eyes moisten up, noticing that Valen’s also feeling sad. “Rui’s likely never getting him back...she can’t accept that Wes is now a hardened mobster.”

“We were both assassins, but Wes...Wes chose a lifestyle that even in my darkest hour, I’d never consider for a second.” Valen closes his eyes, silently lamenting over the extremely complicated situation between Wes and Rui. “Ghetsis was plotting a third attempt to turn Unova into an authoritarian region, but Wes was allegedly paid a lotta money by the world’s most powerful mafia to off him. Word on the street is that Wes used an ice pick to stab Ghetsis seventy seven times to send a message, plus he had his Umbreon brutally maul all three member of The Shadow Triad. That, plus the level of brazenness and viciousness he’s expressed, has earned him the nickname Bloodbath.”

Rosa trembles upon hearing such a morbid nickname and the reasoning behind it, which causes Valen to express concern for her own well being. In response, Rosa briefly sports a sad smile as she caresses Valen’s left cheek, easing the tension within his own mind. “Wes did agree to see Rui, but just once. Wes did that just to tell Rui that only the rich and ruthless can survive in this cold world,” Rosa somberly explains.

“Wes leads a crew of vicious gangsters over in Angel City’s Lakeview Heights neighborhood. As far as this city goes, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a local crew as vicious as The Southies,” Valen tells Rosa. Being sidelined doesn’t mean Valen hasn’t tried to operate behind the scenes. He’s studied organized crime extensively, both on and off the job. “Ice picks are among their favorite weapons to use, and they frequently use their Pokémon as weapons as well. Of course, they’re always packing guns. They’re master blackmailers too, targeting people with dirt on them for extortion money. The last person who refused to pay was a real estate agent suspected of running a price gouging scheme. His arrogance led to his demise, as he was stabbed fifty times just to send a message to everybody else.”

Rosa nearly trembles again, but keeps herself composed so Valen doesn’t worry about her. “I don’t understand why Wes would do such a thing to Rui,” Rosa laments. “Why would Wes abandon someone who deeply loves him?” Rosa can’t help but compare Valen and herself to Wes and Rui. Rosa’s enormously grateful that Valen didn’t end up like Wes, plus the two of them can actually be together again.

“I’m with you on that one,” Valen replies. “Whatever his reasoning may be, it’s gonna remain something that I’ll never be able to comprehend. Rui's a sweet girl who didn't deserve this. Rui will likely never get to be with Wes again, unless Wes risks his own life and becomes an informant. I don’t see that happening.”

“Both of you were at a similar crossroad, but only one of you chose the path that leads to a brighter future,” Rosa somberly tells Valen.

“It could’ve been me,” Valen frets. "It could have easily been me. The darkness of humanity almost devoured me whole.”

“Thanks for letting me help you, Valen,” Rosa softly says, thankful that her beloved Valen's not only still alive, but also standing right next to her.

“No, thank you for being there for me,” Valen replies, emitting a powerful aura of gratitude as he gives Rosa an affectionate smile. “I love you, Rosa.”

“I love you too, Valen.” Rosa sports an affectionate smile of her own as Valen and her exchange a kiss. Then, Rosa feels the need to give Valen some very crucial advice for his well being. In order to make Valen feel more relaxed, Rosa leaves her right arm wrapped around his neck, and begins to caress his right cheek. “Hey sweetie, can I give you some advice?” Rosa softly requests. “Please?”

“Go ahead,” Valen replies as re-opens his eyes, now sporting a faint smile. Valen may not say it, but he absolutely appreciates how Rosa is using her gentle touch to not only calm him down, but to get him to ease up on playing defense.

“Listen, we both know that we can’t control everything, but that doesn’t mean you have to stick to being serious and miserable most of the time,” Rosa softly replies. “I know it hurts that Wes became a gangster, but we had no control over it. Wes wasn’t lucky enough to escape the darkness, but you were. Please don’t fall back into the darkness, kay?"

“Rosa....I dunno-“ Valen's at a loss for words, but he knows that Rosa’s right.

“Also, I know that you desperately want to bring down that monster Lars, but you’ve been sidelined due to PTSD. You need to leave the task of bringing down Lars and his hired thugs in the hands of your Interpol colleagues,” Rosa softly states. “No human being can have that level of control that you wish you'd had. Can you please keep that in mind, my sweetie?” Rosa knows that Valen's got a strong sense of duty, so strong that it hurts him emotionally and mentally. However, he’s yet to fully acknowledge that.

“I can try...I suppose.” Valen bows his head, anguishing over the black hole that has conquered his mind and his heart. Can Valen really promise Rosa such a request when there’s so much violence, destruction, betrayal, and despair in this world? He’s seen the bodies of innocent victims, and he’s seen his fellow soldiers die. Fellow war veterans have taken their own lives, while others have entered the world of organized crime. That’s a big reason why Valen became bitter; those veterans could have been saved, yet they had no one to help them. Maybe Wes felt this way about Rui as well, similar to his own feeling that Rosa hated him for vanishing from her life. Maybe Wes was actually abandoned by people once they found out he was an assassin, leading him to become a vicious gangster.

However, Valen’s willing to concede one thing; his mother was one hundred percent right about his old friends, and Melanie was right about Rosa. Valen didn’t think anybody missed him, but he keeps being proven wrong. Melanie missed him, Rosa missed him, and Skyla missed him. Calem, Silver, and Gladion will probably never admit it, but surely they missed their friend as well. After all, they did reach out to his mom. It seems Lillie and Serena miss him as well. Maybe even Guzma and Plumeria?

Rosa can sense that Valen’s still skeptical. However, she’s in no rush, because she’s going to stay with Valen forever. Even if he ends up being right about abandonment, she’ll be the one abnormality who doesn’t abandon him. Rosa can also sense that Valen’s still suffering inside, so she opts to put his mind at ease once again. “One step at a time, my sweetie,” Rosa softly says, gently grabbing hold of his left hand. “Your main enemy isn’t a person; it’s your demons. Super Rosa and the Rosa Force defeat all of them for you and save the day, kaaaay?”

Valen goes silent, thinking about how much he truly adores this girl. This girl's literally a walking repellant of anything wicked, and anything immoral would be vanquished the instant it tried to corrupt her. It’s impossible not to feel happier when she’s around, as she’s extremely vivacious, high spirited, and lively. As for Rosa, she’s gone silent for the same reason. It doesn't matter how aloof and rude Valen acts. To her, Valen's still the kind and sweet person that she remembers him to be, even if that side of him went dormant. 

The duo’s train of thought gets interrupted when Rosa’s phone dings, notifying her of a text. “That must be Hilda!”

“Heh, she really didn’t need to do this,” Valen replies, sporting a faint smile as Rosa him let go of each other.

* * *

"Hiii, Hilda!" Rosa happily greets as Hilda enters the living room, with Valen walking behind her.

“We’re gonna make this house’s interior the perfect fit for both of you!” Hilda cheerfully announces, radiating a vibrant aura around her.

“You really didn’t have to go this far,” Valen politely points out, closing his eyes as he places his hands in his pockets. He may be acting indifferent, but Valen’s discreetly pleased to have another friend around. Valen thinks that he should

Hilda glances back at Valen with her mouth slightly gaping open, slightly taken aback by Valen's polite tone. Then, a content Hilda closes her eyes and clasps her hands behind her back. “I know, but helping each other out is what friends do, isn’t it?” Hilda asks, sporting a warm smile on her face. “Also, Melanie wanted you to get accustomed to having me around.”

“Friends, huh?” Valen sports a friendly smile as he re-opens his eyes, giving both girls an appreciative gaze. “Heh, that word is slowly starting to have meaning to me again.” Valen has a hard time believing his growing feeling that he made another error in judgement. Even though neither Melanie nor Hilda are aware of his darkest secret, Valen’s slowly starting to see that maybe, just, maybe, these two girls won’t abandon him when they find out about his vendetta. Yes, it’s no longer if they’ll learn about it, but when they’ll learn about it. However, Valen still isn’t ready to disclose it, and neither Rosa nor Silver, let alone Valen’s family, will disclose any of his secrets without his approval.

Rosa vivaciously jumps up and down, sporting a broad grin on her face. “Tee-hee, I knew that my sweetie hadn’t changed! It just took the amazing appearance of Super Rosa to bring out the real Valen!”

Much to Rosa's dismay, as evident by her worried frown, Valen's overcome with regret. “I still can’t believe that after treating you like shit, you wanted to be my friend,” Valen tells Hilda, sporting a sad frown as his eyebrows curve downwards. “You didn’t deserve such treatment. I guess playing defense finally came back to haunt me.” Valen’s bitterness and distrustfulness caused him to develop an aloof, rude personality as a defensive mechanism. He’s gotten so used to a life so serious, lonely, and mineable that he's still playing defense.

 _"The poor guy's beating himself up."_ Hilda's promised to help Valen, so she’s not about to let Valen lament over his mistake. “Heeey, I’ve already forgiven you, and the way you treat Rosa makes it sooooo obvious that you’re a good person!” Hilda attempts to cheer Valen up, and her invigorating, jubliant demeanor does make Valen feel better. “Forget the past and lets work towards a brighter future!”

Hilda and Valen happily exchange a fist bump as the latter glances behind him towards Rosa, who’s reverted back to her usual self. “Melanie and you are behind all of this, aren’t you?” Valen asks, sporting a faint smile.

“Yeeeeep, it’s called Saving Private Valen!” Rosa exultantly exclaims, glowing with joy like the bright lights one can see when viewing Angel City’s magnificent skyline at night. “I’m the leader, Melanie’s my second-in-command, and Hilda’s my third-in-command!”

“Heh, thanks.” Valen affectionately pats Rosa on the head again, much to the grinning girl’s delight. “All three of us do have at least major thing in common, and I’m sure you two can figure out what it is.”

“All three of us love battling!” Rosa exclaims.

“I’m all about battling!” Hilda chimes in.

Suddenly, Rosa gets an idea, feeling like a lightbulb just turned on within her mind. “Ooooh, why don’t we move the unused shelf from the other bedroom here so that I can have a shelf that matched yours! We could even get another old shelf!” Rosa cheerfully tells Valen, sporting an exhilarated smile. "That bed can fit both of us, and it will also match the cool, old theme! We can find more cool old furniture too!

“Heeeey, that’s a good idea!” Hilda compliments, her mouth having curved into an enthusiastic smile. “We’ve got to follow Valen’s super cool tastes!”

Valen’s eyes have widened, as he’s unsure what to make of this. “That’s not necessary.” Valen shrugs his shoulders, indifferent to however the girls want to go about this. “You don’t need my input.” Valen doesn't understand why the girls are so concerned with his taste. It's not like his preferences matter, and he's not going to complain about whatever they wish to do.

Rosa fixates a demanding glare towards Valen, causing Valen’s eyes to widen more, imagining Melanie glaring at him instead. “No, I will not ignore your tastes!” Rosa chastises.

“C’mon, you really don’t need my input. I’m okay with whatever you two want to do," Valen groans, clenching his teeth with his eyes closed. "Why’s my input so important?"

“We want you to have a say in this as well, so please?” Hilda warmly asks, sporting an encouraging smile.

“Pretty please, sweetie?” Rosa softly requests, closing her eyes again as she gives Valen a heart melting grin.

Despite his rudeness towards her, Hilda's been very friendly towards Valen. Furthermore, Valen doesn’t have the heart to say no to Rosa. Thus, Valen decides to relent. Valen re-opens his eyes, saying, “Alright, fine. You can follow my tastes if you want to.”

“Thanks!” Hilda and Rosa happily exclaim at the same time. "We're gonna follow your lead!"

Valen sports an amused smile, pondering about what just happened. “I literally just gave them free reign and they said no,” Valen murmurs to himself, placing his right palm up against his forehead. “It makes no sense to me, but I’ll play along.” Valen can’t help but silently laugh; Rosa’s as spirited and lively as his mom, probably even more. Hilda bears some similar traits to his mom as well. Furthermore, just like how Rosa and Hilda are huge fangirls of his past persona, his mom has made no attempts to hide the fact that when she was in her teens and early twenties, she acted the same way towards The Orbeetles, who were/are Galar’s most famous contribution to music history.

* * *

Within another part of Angel City, Melanie and Calem have decided to get to know each other a little bit more, as both of them are old friends of Valen. Amongst the chatter going on around the duo, a few people silently take note of Melanie and Calem, as both of them are known trainers.

Melanie has brought Calem to another of the city’s battle arenas. Melanie folds her arms and smirks in amusement, noticing that Calem is currently mesmerized by the Neoclassical style of the arena, towering proudly right before his eyes as its cream color is vividly illuminated by the beaming sunlight from the cloudless sky. Calem glances upwards, using his red cap to shield his eyes from the sunlight as he studies the center of the circular, enclosed arena’s roof. The center prominently displays a massive formation of bronze statues, depicting a king in a chariot being pulled by four Galarian Rapidash. Calem notes that the king depicted by the statue is wearing armor all over his body, making him look much more like an 18th century Kalos soldier. The cracks that dot the statues indicate their age, but despite the wear and tear due to time, they have been well preserved. Then, Calem’s gaze shifts downwards, noting the massive columns that surround the entire arena’s exterior. To Calem, not only does this place looks more like a 18th century palace or some sort of ancient temple than a public stadium for Pokémon Trainers. However, were it not for the statues, he may have wondered if this was a modern reproduction of an older style of architecture. The arena looks that well maintained. Calem notices that the buildings left and right of the arena, as well as the buildings across the street, look equally well maintained. All of the buildings in this area share the styling of the battle arena. The buildings are finished in either a similar shade of cream, or varying shades of white.

“Impressed, Calem?” Melanie asks, her amused smirk turning to a beaming smile.

Calem nods as his gaze returns to the arena, admitting, “This is one of the largest arenas I've ever seen, and it may be the fanciest looking one I’ve seen since I’ve got here.”

“This is actually the oldest area in the city,” Melanie explains. “Valen’s childhood home is about fifteen minutes from here. I moved to that neighborhood when I was seven, and Valen was the first friend I made. This was the second most visited spot by the two of us, with the first being that park we walked through.”

“Speaking of which, I heard Rosa’s moving in with him, and Hilda’s helping out," Calem remarks.

“Yep, and I figured that I’d leave that trio be so Valen can get accustomed to having Hilda around,” Melanie admits. “Rosa makes him feel the most comfortable, so she needs to be there as well.”

“You’re a really good friend,” Calem compliments with an approving smile. “I wish we could have gotten to know other back then.”

“He's an only child, just like me.” Melanie replies, reminiscing about her longtime friendship with Valen. "I decided that I'd be the sister that he never had, whether he liked it or not."

“You remind me of my own childhood friend, Serena,” Calem admits. “We first met Valen six years ago. He was visiting relatives from his mom's side of the family. We made a lot of fun memories together.”

“Maybe I’ll bring Valen here at some point to jog his memory,” Melanie states. “ I could have brought him here on the day after I finally got to see him, but I felt that it was too soon. That’s also the day we met Arthur.”

“I should be the next one to approach Valen; Serena will kick my ass so hard that I’ll end up Galar if I don’t get Valen to reach out to her,” Calem groans. “However, Valen may need to get more comfortable around Hilda first, because guess what club Serena was the president of? Even worse for the current Valen, she knows you-know-what, and I don’t even think he remembers that she knows.”

“He wanted to be a movie star, so he decided to combine that with being a Pokémon Trainer. It turned out to be very successful.” Melanie blushes as her inner fangirl leaks out, remembering Valen as his past persona years ago. Melanie’s eyes sparkle as she places her hands on her cheeks. “I've never seen somebody rock a Gucci tuxedo and a pair of sunglasses as well as he did! He brought the fangirls upon himself! Kyaaaaaaa!”

“Hey, you need to be the calm one for his sake,” Calem sternly points out, unamused and annoyed by the fangirl nonsense that Valen has to deal with.

Melanie’s face reddens due to embarrassment. Melanie’s mouth curves into embarrassed smile, admitting, “S-Sorry...I g-get c-carried away s-sometimes.”

”It’s fine,” Calem replies. Then, Calem’s mouth curves into a confident smirk as he takes out a Poké Ball. “Now, how about you face me in a battle, Melanie?”

“You’re on!” Melanie exclaims.

* * *

Calem and Melanie stand on opposite sides of one of the seven battlefields within this arena, with field finished with a stunning presentation of marble, despite the obvious wear and tear within this two hundred and sixty three year old structure. Melanie’s status has caused a large crowd to gather, but Calem’s no stranger to a good portion of the crowd either, as he’s won the Kalos Conference twice.

"You ready?" Melanie asks, sporting a confident smile.

""Yeah, I'm ready," Calem replies, glancing downwards at the field's wear and tear. Due to how well maintained this arena is, Calem can't help but wonder all of this wear, such as cracks, dings, and scratches, are relatively recent or are from centuries ago. Assuming that wear and tear would last that long in the first place, let alone after refurbishment and maintenance.

“I’ll use Alakazam.” Melanie presses the button on the Poké Ball to let her Pokémon out. Alakazam doesn't make a sound, keenly studying the other human that'll be facing off against his trainer.

I’ll use my Charizard.” Calem presses the button on his Poké Ball to let his Pokémon out. "Let's do this." In response to his trainer's words, Charizard lets out a ferocious roar, sending ripples through the ground and air.

Melanie nods, commanding, “Calm Mind.” Alakazam closes his eyes and his body becomes enveloped with a translucent white aura. The aura glows brightly as Alakazam briefly mediates. Then, the aura vanishes as quickly as it appeared, and Alakazam slowly opens his eyes, ready for his command. 

"Fly in closer and use Flamethrower,” Calem commands. Before Alakazam can even react, his eyes widen at how fast his opponent is. Charizard is already within close proximity of him, firing off a red-orange stream of fire at Alakazam. The Flamethrower attack strikes Alakazam just under his jaw, striking the upper portion of his brownish, armored chest. Then, flames envelop Alakazam‘s body, indicating that he’s been inflicted by a status condition.

Melanie notes that this Charizard is quite the speedy Pokémon, but she's more concerned about Alakazam. Melanie sports a tight-lipped smile, stating, "Uh oh, Alakazam‘s got a burn.” Then, Melanie's eyebrows angle downwards as her tight-lipped smile becomes a devious smirk. After all, two can play at this game. "Use Toxic!" Alakazam fires off a stream of black liquid from his mouth, inflicting Charizard with the Badly Poisoned status condition. Charizard’s entire body glows purple as he takes damage from the poison.

"I see what you're trying to do," Calem remarks, sporting a amused smile. "Will it be enough, though?"

“Shadow Ball!” Alakazam places his hands in front of his body. Using his spoons, Alakazam forms a purple sphere of energy, and fires it towards Charizard.

“Counter with Dragon Pulse.” Charizard opens his mouth and a fiery red ball begins to form within his mouth. Charizard launches the ball to intercept the incoming Shadow Ball attack. The collision of both attacks results in a medium detonation that covers the battle arena in smoke, but not to the point where visibly is poor.

"Use Shadow Claw." As the smoke clears itself out, Charizard's right claw glows jet black. Charizard lets out a blaring roar as he charges at Odin from a close distance, striking the Alakazam with his right claw. Alakazam gets slashed in the middle of his brownish, armored chest, stumbling backwards as he tries to regain his composure.

Melanie smirks, brimming with confidence as she realizes that Alakazam is now in close proximity of Calem's Charizard, meaning that Calem won't be able to counter Alakazam‘s most powerful attack. "Use Psychic!" Alakazam crosses its spoon, just as his eyes glow light blue. Then, Alakazam unleashes an enormous tidal wave of light blue energy from his cross spoons. Calem's mouth slightly falls open as Charizard's body is enveloped by the surge of light blue energy, causing the draconic like Pokémon to careen backwards several feet.

"Follow up with Psycho Cut," Melanie commands, feeling an increased surge of adrenaline within her body as she radiates an aura of excitement around her. Alakazam motions his left arm like he's swinging a blade horizontally from his left to his right, sending a crescent of light blue energy that slices through the air that crashes into a still reeling Charizard.

"Shock Wave!" As Charizard nearly falls over, Alakazam fires off a light blue lightning bolt from the top of his head. The lightning bolt strikes Charizard in his cream colored chest, quickly enveloping his entire body. Charizard pants in exhaustion as he kneels over from the trio of attacks, plus the increasing damage from his status condition.

"You're as strong as Valen," Calem compliments, sporting a wide, approving smile.

"Well, I did win the Calvana Conference twice," Melanie replies, sporting a prideful smirk as she folds her arms. “However, Valen’s much stronger than he appears to be.”

"Use Dragon Claw." Both of Charizard's claws glow light red, lunging towards Odin at a high rate of speed. Alakazam‘s slashed twice just below his jaw.

"Fire Blast." Charizard lets out a booming roar, spitting out a powerful cluster of red-orange flames that take the shape of the kanji for fire. As Alakazam staggers from the previous attack, he takes a direct hit from Fire Blast, causing him to kneel over as he attempts to bear the damage he's taken. However, Melanie's got a move specifically for a situation like this.

"Use Recover!" As Alakazam struggles to stand up straight, his entire body glows yellow. This yellow energy heals a portion of the damage Alakazam‘s taken so far, enabling the yellow humanoid Pokémon to stand back up. Alakazam‘s eagerly ready to continue this battle.

"Use Flamethrower." Alakazam‘s more, Charizard unleashes a red-orange stream of fire from his mouth.

"Counter with Psycho Cut!" This time, Alakazam motions his right arm horizontally, firing off another crescent of light blue energy that collides with Charizard's Flamethrower. The collision causes a much larger detonation than the one that occurred earlier, resulting in visibility being poor due to all the smoke.

"Use Psychic!" As the smoke slowly clears out, Alakazam crosses its spoons. Alakazam‘s eyes glow light blue and he unleashes another tidal wave of light blue energy. Both Calem and Charizard are taken by surprise, their mouths falling open at how Melanie didn't even wait for visibility to become better to launch another attack.

Once the smoke finally clears out, both Pokémon pant in exhaustion. Despite using Recover, Alakazam‘s taken a considerable amount of damage from being burned. However, Charizard has taken far more damage from badly poisoned. Charizard falls to the ground, having been defeated through a combination of boosted attacks and Toxic.

"Good battle, Charizard," Calem compliments. As he recalls his Charizard, Calem sports a embarrassed smile, murmuring, “I forgot that the status condition inflicted by Toxic does more and more damage as the battle goes on.”

"You did great, Alakazam!" Alakazam looks back, giving his smiling trainer a gleeful grin. As Melanie recalls Alakazam, she notices that Calem is walking towards her, sporting a content smile. Melanie and Calem exchange a hi-five over their great battle.

Then, Calem’s phone rings. Seeing that it’s Serena, Calem decides to pick up. "Hey, Serena," Calem greets, unaware that Serena's about use Rage on him. “Look, I know-“

“Calem, you’re in big trouble!” Serena howls on the other end of the line, startling Calem to the point where he almost loses his balance. “Why haven’t you gotten me in touch with Valen yet?! Forget Galar, because I’m going to kick your ass so hard you’ll fly into space and mutate into a Deoxys!”

“S-Serena, Valen now has a hard time opening up nowadays!” Calem howls back. “Nobody can’t force him to reach out to you!”

“Oh...s-sorry...I just miss him, that’s all.” A somber Serena goes silent, lamenting over how it’s been since Valen has talked to her, let alone seen her.

Calem wants to cheer Serena up, and he already knows the best piece of information to use for this task. “The good news is that Rosa’s leading the charge to help him,” Calem explains. ”Can you figure out why?”

Serena perks up, immediately realizing what Calem's subtly implying. “Wait, did Rosa and Valen actually get back together?!” 

“Yep, I saw it with my own two eyes,” Calem replies, sporting a content smile.

“That’s awesome!” Serena squeals.

“Why don’t you come over to Calvana and join us?”

“Ooooh, I’d love to!” 

“Then-“

“Just kidding, I’m already here!” Serena cuts Calem off, letting out a mischievous laugh.

“W-What?!“

“The plane landed in Angel City an hour ago!” Serena happily explains. “Calvana’s largest city is sooooo impressive and pretty! 

“So, should I tell everyone or-“

“No waaaay, I want to find and surprise everyone!" Serena cheerfully exclaims. "However, Kris recommended me some shops to check out, so I’ll be busy for now!”

“Serena, this city's called a megacity for a reason,” Calem groans, rolling his eyes out of annoyance. "I bet you didn’t even ask Kris where to find the others."

“O-Oops, I f-forgot to a-ask!” Serena shrieks in embarrassment. “P-Please tell me where I can f-find e-everyone!”

“Fine, but make sure you don’t into fangirl mode when you see Valen," Calem replies.

“Valen brought that upon himself!” Serena boisterous laughs. “Besides, if Rosa's leading the charge, then he’ll come around eventually!” 

“Why did I pick up the phone?” Calem lets out a loud sigh, smacking his face with his left hand. Meanwhile, Melanie faintly chuckles over Calem’s amusing situation.

* * *

“I need to take pictures of my OTP!” Hilda proclaims as she opens the camera app on her phone.

Hilda’s words causes Valen's eyebrows to raise upwards. “W-Wha-“ Valen begins to sweat nervously.

“Yaaaaay, pictures with Valey!” Rosa sports a playful grin.

Valen's now sweating profusely, his eyes having widened to the point where the whites are showing. “Y-You w-wanna take p-p-pictures?!”

“Yeeeep, I’m gonna savor the moment!” Hilda joyfully proclaims.

“Awwww, my sweetie’s become camera shy!” Rosa giggles. “He’s sooooo cuteeee!”

By this point, Valen’s face has already fully reddened. “Errr, um...I h-h-have important m-matters to a-attend to! B-B-Bye!” Valen begins to nervously walk away, keeping his hands in his pockets in an attempt to act cool.

Hilda fixates a disapproving glare at Valen, folding her arms and demanding, “Hey, don’t you dare walk out on me!”

Rosa shuts her eyes, sporting a giant frown while wailing, “Noooooo, don’t gooooooo!”

“Lalalalalalalala, I can’t hear you! Lalalalalalalala! I still can’t hear you!” Valen screams as he covers his ears with his hands. “Lalalalalalalala, I don’t know what the word pictures mean! Lalalalalalalala!”

“Rosa, use Take Down!” Hilda mischievously laughs.

“Attack the Valey sweetie!” Rosa sports a playful smile as she blocks Valen from exiting the room. "Grrrrr, feel my power!" Rosa wraps her arms around Valen’s neck and uses the full force of her body to gently bring Valen down, pinning him to the floor.

“Nooooo, I’ve been defeated by cuteness!” Valen shrieks, knowing full well that this is one battle that he's likely never going to win.

“Finish this, Rosa!” Hilda exclaims with another mischievous laugh.

“Mommy, help me! I’m being held against my will by cuteness!” Valen shrieks even louder, causing Rosa to giggle.

“Roar, Rosa used Draining Kiss!” Rosa silences Valen’s shrieking with a kiss on the lips.

A pouting Valen rolls his eyes, grumbling over the fact that a kiss from Rosa always seems to shut him up. _“She’s literally my biggest weakness!”_

“We won the battle!” Rosa and Hilda triumphantly announces.

“Roar, Rosa used Nuzzle!” Rosa playfully nuzzles her head against Valen’s chest. “Tee-hee, you’ll never defeat Rosa in this type of battle!” Since Valen’s only wearing a gunmetal gray sleeveless shirt, Rosa doesn’t have to worry about scratching her face on his leather jacket’s zipper.

Grumbling turns into laughter as Valen can never stay annoyed or mad at Rosa for long, if at all. “Wait, I forgot that I don’t mind any of these antics,” Valen admits as he embraces Rosa, causing her to sport an ear-to-ear affectionate grin as the two of them feel a surge of warmth flowing through them. “It’s too adorable to get worked up about.”

“Tee-hee, you need lots and lots of hugs and kisses from meeeeee, so get used to it!" Rosa gives Valen a playful, flirtatious wink. "I expect the same amount of hugs and kisses from my boooy, kaaaay?”

“I like that.” Valen replies, sporting a content smile.

“It’s picture time!” Hilda happily announces.

“I don’t like that!” Valen shrieks, remembering the horror that is having his picture taken.

“You can’t run!” Hilda laughs as she begins taken pictures.

“Nooooooo!” Valen shrieks again, his face reddening out of both nervousness and embarrassment.

“Yeeeeeees!” Rosa giggles.

Before Valen can respond, Rosa silences him with another kiss on the lips. Afterwards, Valen sports an amused smirk, teasing, “Hmph, you used my weaknesses against me.” 

“I knooooow, I’m sooooo baaad. Come and get meeee, big boooy." Rosa flirts, giving Valen a playful smile and wink. 

“So, can I get-“

“Roar, Headbutt!” Rosa bops Valen's head with her head to prevent him from lifting up his upper body.

“Please-“

“Roar, Double Kick!” Rosa bops both of Valen's legs with her feet so Valen can't lift up his lower body.

“Why-“

“I have full control of yoooou, and I’m not giving it up!” Rosa giggles. Then, Rosa becomes flirtatious again. “However, you can win this round if you lift me up with those exposed muscles, big booooy.”

“Nah, Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, Valey!”

“Goodnight?” Hilda asks, perplexed as to why Valen said goodnight when it just turned noon.

“Yep, goodnight.” Valen’s in a relaxed state, smirking as Rosa playfully nuzzles her head against Valen’s chest again, while Hilda looks on in bewilderment.

“Sike!” Valen’s booming laughter startles both girls, causing Hilda to jump back a few feet. Valen sports a devious grin, leaving his right hand on Rosa's back while slightly lifting up Rosa’s white top with his left hand, as it's time for another round of tickling, causing Rosa to cry with laughter. “Valen used Tickle!”

“Hahahahahahaha, n-not again! Valen, stop!”

"You thought I wouldn't get payback?” Valen laughs. "You're gonna feel my tickling powers!"

“S-Stop it, you lovable idiot! Hahahahahahahaha!”

"Hilda, make sure you get this on video!"

"H-Hilda, please don't record this! Hahahahahahaha!"

Hilda reverts back to being jovial, now using her phone to record the merciless tickle session. "Sorry Rosa, but it's only fair that I record this! Besides, it's sooooo adorable to begin with!"

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wes is in this headcanon cuz of you, HelloYellow17. You and your superb writing made me want to do this. If any of you haven’t checked out Of Sand and Shadows, I recommend doing so. 
> 
> Wes will star in an organized crime spin-off that would take place around the the same time as this fic.
> 
> Revisions include cuts, extended dialogue, dialogue/text alterations, and added details.
> 
> The arena's description came to be thanks to an architecture book. Speaking of books, The Emotion Thesaurus has been a big help. I have the second edition.
> 
> Any thoughts on Calem and Serena?


	20. I Wanna Be Free

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just fyi to anyone who’s been reading since the early days; I’ve been making revisions to previous chapters, such tweaking, adding, removing, and fixing any errors. Now, onto Chapter 20!

It’s now mid-afternoon, and Hilda and Rosa are still downstairs within Valen’s house. Valen's gone up to his room to retrieve something that he considers very important. As a little bit of sunlight seeps through the closed curtains of his window, Valen's digging inside his walnut bookshelf in order to retrieve what he needs in order to make this a proper house for Rosa. If Rosa's going to be moving in, Valen feels that it's only fair to accommodate for her tastes as well.

"It's about time that I looked at this list again," Valen remarks, taking out a rolled up paper from the bottom left compartment of his walnut bookshelf. Valen's crush on Rosa was big enough for him to write down every detail that he could about her, albeit he was nervous that'd he come off as a creep. Fortunately, his sincerity came to his assistance. "I remember everything on it, but it's been years since I wrote all of that information down."

Valen places the list on the round, carved walnut table next to his bed. Then, Valen comes to a sudden halt, pondering about how his miserable life finally has some joy in it. Valen sniffles, unable to prevent himself from shedding tears. Emotional healing is a slow process, but Valen's come to realize that there are people who really do care about him. His inner demons may be a powerful enemy, but Valen's already decided that maybe he can try to be a litter nicer, even with his overall regression in sociability.

As he wipes away his tears, Valen can't help but wonder if his companions had assistance themselves. “....When you’re a soldier, loyalty between you, your brothers, and your sisters last forever,” Valen murmurs, glancing upwards. “You guys and girls still got my six.” A somber Valen gives a salute in honor of his fallen comrades. Valen truly feels that they prevented him from meeting the grim fate that they met. “Don’t worry about me....Rosa and others aren't military, but they’ve got my six, as do my Pokémon.” Valen performs another salute, this time for his great-grandpa, stating, “General Marcel Barsotti. Made it to age one hundred five.”

Suddenly, Valen jerks his head from side to side to shake off any sadness. Then, he takes several deep breaths to regain his composure. “Let’s see what the girls are up to,” Valen says. “Anyway, I gotta ask Rosa if this list from four years ago is still accurate.”

Valen comes to sudden halt for a second time, now lamenting about the errors in judgement he’s made due to his personal demons. Valen bows his head, his eyes becoming moist. “I get it....I get it now. By solely focusing on serious matters that others could handle better than me...my life became devoid of happiness, enjoyment, friendship...and love.” Valen shuts his eyes, admitting, “I wanna be free....yeah, I wanna be free.”

Once more, Valen jerks his head from side to side, trying to shake off sadness. “I can’t get down in the dumps like that,” Valen chastises himself, walking out of his room. “Pull yourself together, you giant dumbass. Think about something else, like the badass black roadster that you really want.” Then, Valen’s mouth curves into an amused, prideful smirk. “Imagine how badass I’d look taking Rosa on dates in dad’s original Shelby Cobra. Dad took Mom on dates in the 289 Cobra when they were around my age.”

* * *

Rosa and Hilda are standing in Valen’s large dining room. Hilda's directed her attention towards to the contrast of black and pearly white on the house's interior walls, which remains her favorite aspect of Valen's house. Then, Hilda keenly studies Valen's large wooden table and the twelve walnut armchairs surrounding it. “Looks like he mixes and matches furniture, as these look even older than what he’s got in his living room," Hilda observes. “Rosa, do you know where he got his tastes from?”

“Tee-hee, when it comes to my sweetie, I know just about everything!” Rosa cheerfully proclaims. “He got his tastes from his mother, Professor Veronica Barsotti!”

Hilda's eyes widen, knowing very well that the name Professor Barsotti isn't an obscure one. “S-Seriously, his mom’s Professor Barsotti, the renowned Pokémon researcher and design historian?!” Hilda’s shock vanishes, her jovial demeanor having returned within seconds. “Woooow, that's awesome! The more I learn about Valen, the more intriguing he becomes!”

“Valen really does works in mysterious ways,” Rosa glances downwards at her necklace, sporting an affectionate smile. “I think of him whenever I look at this necklace.” Rosa closes her eyes, placing her right hand over her heart. “What did I do to deserve somebody as sweet as him?”

“He’s a really nice person deep down,” Hilda admits, sporting a soft smile. “I’m glad that I befriended him. I hope he continues to open up to other people.”

“I believe in him, Hilda,” Rosa affirms. “I believe that he’ll to continue to change his ways overtime.”

“You know, if he continues to change, we might get The Black Reaper back too,” Hilda points out.

“I didn’t even recognize Valen as The Black Reaper when I personally met him for the first time,” Rosa admits as excitement begins to overcome her. “He's soooo good at being mysterious, and I looove it!”

“His mysterious demeanor's soooo alluring!” Hilda gushes.

“I still remember what he said whenever reporters tried to interview him!” Rosa makes her voice deeper in order to do her best impression of a male voice. “I don’t give interviews.”

“That was soooo cooool!” Hilda squeals, placing her hands on her cheeks. “Why does he have to be sooo coool?! Kyaaaaaaa!”

“We’ve got to bring back that past persona of his!” Rosa proclaims, raising her fists upwards.

“We totally do!” Hilda exclaims, clasping her hands next to her left cheek.

“Tee-hee, Valey brought it upon himself!” Rosa giggles.

“Okay, we’ve had enough fun! Let’s get back to work!” Hilda proclaims, her eyes glowing with eagerness.

“Silly Hilda, we can work and have fun at the same time!” Rosa takes out her phone, excited to do some research into old furniture and interior styling.

“You’re right!” Hilda laughs, taking out her phone as well. Rosa can't have all of the fun, so Hilda's eagerly doing some research of her own.

“Heeey, check this out!” Hilda eagerly shows Rosa a photograph of a gold colored chair. “It says here that this chair is made of a material called polychrome, and it's styled like ancient furniture from the Asyut region!”

“Oooh, it's historical inception, because it says that the chair was made in the 19th century!" Rosa exclaims. “Tee-hee, that’s a perfect throne for my pharaoh! This one time, I had this really crazy dream where my hunky Valey was this shirtless pharaoh! Then, the dream switched to Valen being a wizard who called him the Dark Magician! It’s the most bizarre dream that I’ve ever had, but it was also soooo cool!”

“Girl, your imagination’s even more wilder than mine!” Hilda laughs, while Rosa giggles.

Rosa continues to browse furniture on her own phone, becoming enamored with a large brownish bookshelf. “Hilda, look at this this old and cool bookshelf! It says here that it's made of walnut, and it originated from the Apulia region!”

“That’d be a great bookshelf for you to use!” Hilda exclaims. “I’m sure Valen’s got an old bookshelf himself!”

“Yeeeep, he does!” Rosa exclaim, glancing down at her phone upon noticing something in the related item suggestions. "Oooooh, do you think Valey would buy me this cool old bowl?! It says that it’s Art Deco style, and it originated from the Venteux region! That’s like right between Unova and Calvana!”

Hilda takes a peek at Rosa’s phone, eagerly studying the near-spherical, crystal bowl, liking the fact that the center has engravings of multiple galloping Sawsbuck on all sides. “Heeey, this is perfect for an Unova girl like you or me!"

”Ooooh, I just remembered that his mom's family originated from both the Kalos region and its neighbor, the Bremen region-“

"It’s your boy, Valen," Valen interrupts Rosa, his hands in his pockets as he saunters into the dining room. "Pretty, cute, and clever girl," Valen compliments Rosa, causing her to sport a sweet smile. Valen took his time coming downstairs and to this room, albeit Rosa and Hilda were too distracted to notice in the first place

“Hiiii, Valey!” Rosa happily closes her eyes, now sporting an ear-to-ear, adoring grin.

“Heeeeey, Valen!” Hilda's eyes gleam with joy, her mouth having curved into a wide grin.

Valen's mouth curves into a cocky grin as he puts on a pair of black sunglasses, asking, "Does The Black Reaper still rock the sunglasses well?”

The eyes of both girls sparkle again. “Yes, he definitely does! Kyaaaaaaaaaaa!” Rosa and Hilda squeal.

Valen lets out a faint laugh, sporting a smug grin as he takes off the sunglasses. “Hey, you said that you had posters of The Black Reaper, right?”

“Yeeep, a lot of posters!” Hilda replies. “So many that I gave some to Rosa!”

"I can never have enough Valey!" Rosa giggles.

“Are any of them autographed?” Valen asks.

Hilda sighs, saying, “Well, no.“

“Uh oh, I gotta correct that,” Valen replies, sporting a soft smile.

Hilda's eyes light up, asking, "R-Really? I'm getting your autograph?"

Valen nods, stating, "Consider this to be another token of my appreciation.”

"Kyaaaaaaa! We're getting his autograph!" Rosa and Hilda squeal, their faces gleaming with elation.

Valen briefly laughs, but nervousness sets in as he walks closer to Rosa. Upon seeing Rosa’s giving him a heart melting smile, Valen gulps. _"Is there such a thing as being too cute?"_ Valen blushes over what he’s about to do, thinking, _“Okay, I can do this. I can do this.”_ Valen takes a deep breath. As he feels his pulse raising, Valen wraps his arms around the middle of Rosa’s body. Valen slowly hoists Rosa up, his hands trembling during the process. Valen glances to his left, his face heating up as he feels fluttery in his stomach. _“I actually got with my crush, so why am I still acting like this around her?! I can’t do this! I can’t do this, but I can’t resist the urge to lift up my cinnamon bun anymore!”_

Rosa lets out a loud squeal, wrapping her arms around Valen’s neck. “Ooooh, big boy lifted me up with those muscles of his!” Rosa kisses Valen on the lips, giggling over how red Valen’s face has become. “Uh oh, somebody’s shy! Are you having a Rosa overload right now, my hunky cutieeee?”

 _”Rosa’s level of cuteness isn’t a safe amount!”_ While holding Rosa, Valen pokes two fingers together over and over again. Valen’s face still burns bright red, clenching his teeth as he turns his head leftwards. “L-Look at yourself in the m-mir-mirror and tell me how I’m s-sup-supposed to avoid this.”

Rosa gets a whiff of what appears to be cologne. Rosa sniffs Valen, teasing, “Is that cologne I smell on yoooou, big boooy?” Rosa gives Valen a sultry smile. “Did you tidy yourself up a little bit just for meeee?”

A wide-eyed Valen lets out the faintest of panicked yelps; he went upstairs to check the list and to put on cologne, but he didn't think Rosa would sniff him. “I f-fig-figured that I’d try to p-pre-present at least a little bit of a t-tid-tidy a-appearance,” Valen nervously explains, feeling weakness in his knees and legs. “O-Obv-Obviously, I did it for y-you.” Valen’s still having a hard time looking at Rosa, despite hoisting her up.

“Awww, you‘re too sweet!” Rosa squeals.

"You two are soooo precious together!" Hilda gushes.

Before Valen can reply, he realizes that he'd forgotten that Gardevoir's out of her Poke Ball, and she's been watching his nervous attempt to lift Rosa up. Gardevoir’s standing right behind Valen, leaning up against the wall with her arms folded. She fixates a gleeful gaze at her trainer, sporting a lopsided grin as she cackles.

“That Gardevoir gives off a somewhat sinister vibe,” Hilda notes, placing her right thumb and index finger on her chin. “I’ve encountered other Gardevoir, but this one seems different in personality.”

"I should've known that you'd show up," Valen groans, letting out a sigh. Then, Valen’s mouth curves into a warm smile. Valen puts Rosa down and pats his Gardevoir on the head, causing her lopsided grin to turn into an affectionate smile.

”She’s very cocky and devious, to the point where she can give on an evil vibe. However, she’s still a good Pokémon who genuinely loves her trainer,” Rosa reassures, sporting a soft smile. “You’ll get used to the vibe she gives off.”

”To be fair, I felt a more adoring vibe after Valen patted her,” Hilda admits, sporting a placid smile.

”When she was a Ralts, she was pretty shy,” Valen chimes in. “Quite the change from those days. She was the first Pokémon I ever caught.”

”So, Cyndaquil and Ralts....I'm glad that I'm learning more about you,” Hilda comments, sporting a friendly smile. Valen turns around and the two exchange a fist bump.

"Rosa, I gotta ask you something,” Valen says, glancing in her direction.

”Go ahead, sweetie!” Rosa exclaims.

“All your favorite things, like food, drinks, and movies, are still the same right?” Valen asks as his Gardevoir moves forward, standing next to her trainer's left side.

“Yeeep!” Rosa sports a wide grin, forming a peace sign with her right hand. "Rosa’s still Rosa, my sweetie!"

“Good, that means I don’t have to revise that list from four years ago.” Valen sports a relieved smile. "I still have it fully memorized, but I had to make sure it was still accurate." A proud Gardevoir closes her eyes, smiling over how much her trainer cares for Rosa.

A wide-eyed Rosa lets out a gasp, backing up a few feet. "Y-You....you still remember everything about me?"” Rosa asks, her eyes becoming moist as euphoria begins to flow within her. "S-So, t-that's how....you remembered that I wanted the necklace....you kept that list and you memorized it....all of it."

“Obviously, you silly girl." Valen laughs, affectionately patting a teary eyed Rosa on the head. "How can Valen be the best boyfriend ever if he didn't keep the list, let alone memorize it?"

"Y-You're too....you’re too much, Valen," Rosa replies in a trembling voice, overwhelmed with warmth. Rosa sniffles as tears begin to stream down her cheeks. “You really do pay attention to everything about me.” Rosa closes her eyes, sporting an affectionate smile. Then, Rosa sweeps Valen into a big hug, kissing him on the top right side of his head. “Thank you," Rosa lovingly whispers as Valen hugs her back. "Thanks for taking the time to memorize even the smallest details about me.”

"It's the least I could do," Valen softly replies, sporting an affectionate smile of his own. “Thanks for reminding me what it feels like to be happy.”

”Anytime, sweetie,” Rosa softly replies.

“You two are really sweet towards each other,” Hilda compliments, sporting a broad smile. “Valen, do you mind if I help with getting what’s on that list?”

“Sure, but I think Melanie should join you,” Valen replies as Rosa and him let go of each other. “It doesn’t feel right to leave her out of this, even if her reason for not showing up is understandable.”

““Sounds good to me!” Hilda exclaims. “Also, I forgot to ask you something important!”

“Go ahead,” Valen replies.

“Do you still have The Reaper Cycle?!” Hilda asks, her eyes gleaming with joy as she clasps her hands in front of her chin.

“Yep," Valen replies, grinning proudly.

”He still has The Reaper Cycle! Kyaaaaaaaaa!” Rosa and Hilda squeal.

"I remember that the The Reaper Cycle’s also old and cool!" Rosa exclaims, sporting a broad grin. Rosa's also feeling mischievous, silently laughing as she glances at Hilda.

"Someone's been studying," Valen teases, patting a gleeful Rosa on her head. "That bike's a BMW R35. It was bought new by my great-grandfather in 1947, and it's been in my dad's side of family ever since. It became mine when I turned seventeen."

Hilda gives Valen a blank stare, saying, "Wait, I don't remember The Reaper Cycle being that old."

"Hahahahahaha, you're definitely not his biggest fan!" Rosa playfully gloats. "I hid the fact that there were two bikes called The Reaper Cycle just to test your knowledge!"

"Rosa's right," Valen replies, rewarding a gleeful Rosa by patting her on the head again. "That bike's a 2009 Harley-Davidson Fat Boy. That was my first vehicle, and I got it at age sixteen.”

Hilda's eyes widen, her face having reddened within seconds. "H-How did I forget that The Black Reaper had two motorcycles?! Aieeeeeeee!"

"Tee-hee, I'm the true biggest fan!" Rosa proudly proclaims.

Hilda starts to calm down, only to freak out again seconds later. "Oh no! I forgot two things!" Hilda suddenly changes the topic, her mouth having slightly opened. "I'm sooooo dumb that I've also forgotten that Rosa told me your mother is Professor Barsotti!" Hilda's face reddens in embarrassment, causing Valen to chortle and Rosa to giggle.

"You're sooo silly!" Rosa teases, sporting a playful smile.

"Yep, my mom's cool," Valen proudly states. "Dad's cool too.”

"Hey, your dad's still a general right?" Rosa asks.

Valen nods, stating, "General Nicholas Barsotti, one of the region's highest ranking military and regional security officials, and head of the army unit that tackles Pokémon poaching. He's currently leading Orre's reconstruction efforts."

"Wooow, he's an important person within this region's government!" Hilda exclaims.

As Rosa and Hilda talk, Valen glances towards his Gardevoir. “I guess being a bit more social wouldn't hurt, right?" Gardevoir responds with a nod, glowing with jubilation over her trainer's progress. Valen and his Gardevoir exchange a hi-five, both smiling over the progress that's been made. Both trainer and Pokémon know that there's still a long journey ahead, but Valen's okay with that.

* * *

Arthur and Brendan have decided to hang out in order to get to know each other a bit better, and they both hope that eventually, they can bring Valen along. The two guys were taking a stroll down a concrete walkway that leads to a concrete plaza, surrounded by the chatters and the footsteps of others. Arthur even had to pull Brendan away a couple of times, as he wanted to buy a bunch of cool looking hats just to impresses the ladies. However, the duo have since ceased their stroll. Arthur's learned that Pokémon battles aren't the only type of battles Brendan’s into; a crowd that has gathered to watch a rap battle between Brendan and another male trainer.

"This is the not the type of battle I was referring to, you wanker," Arthur grumbles, fixating a displeased glare towards Brendan. Arthur notes that one of the onlookers has even got a boom box, which is playing a rhythmic beat that everybody else is vibing too.

Brendan's opponent is going first. “How you gonna win when you look dumber that a Seel? I can’t tell if that’s a hat or your hair, but it’s no big deal. If B stands for brain, you should be named Small B. Batting me doesn’t come without a fee."

The crowd, which has increased in size, react with shock and laughter. The crowd eagerly waits on Brendan, who's preparing to dish out some disses of his own. Meanwhile, Arthur keenly studies the brutalist buildings that surround the walkway and plaza, noting the peculiar shapes of the monochrome concrete buildings.

“Come on Big B, win this for Hoenn!” A male onlooker shouts with other onlookers joining in. Big B's the name Brendan chose to use as a battle rapper.

Brendan stares his opponent directly in the eyes, completely unfazed by his slightly taller opponent. Brendan bobs his head to the booming beat. “How can I be Small B when your brain's smaller than a pea? “Your rhymes are as bad as your love life, cuz no girl wanna stay for one night. I've got fans in this crowd, but you'll never have this. Ninety nine percent of your fans don't exist." The crowd's reaction is even louder this time, filled with gasps, shock, and booming laughter. In the midst of this, Arthur grabs Brendan's left arm and drags him away. Arthur's grumbling in annoyance, because wants to have a Pokémon battle with Brendan, a three time Ever Grand Conference winner.

“You can have your bloody rap battles after I defeat you in a Pokémon battle!” Arthur chastises a wide-eyed Brendan. 

"Hmph, fine," Brendan groans as he pulls himself out of Arthur's grasp. "Player hater."

* * *

While there isn't a public arena nearby, the walkways and plazas of the city are wide enough to where trainers can have a Pokémon battle. In this case, Arthur and Brendan stand on opposite ends within the the center of a large, rectangular plaza. As both trainers take out a Poké Ball with their right hand, Arthur can't help but admire that a walkway and a plaza littered with the markings of filled up cracks, dings and holes have been well maintained enough to remain in use.

“I’ll use my Flygon!" Brendan throws his Poké Ball into the to let his Pokémon out, catching the Poké Ball as it falls back down. Flygon lets out a screeching cry, looking at Arthur from up in the air.

“I shall use Inteleon.” Brendan presses the button on his Poké Ball to let his Pokémon out. Inteleon doesn't make a sound, folding his arms and closing his eyes. 

"That must be your starter," Brendan observes, sporting an enthusiastic smile. "I like how cool he acts! He's like some sort of spy!"

"Save the compliments for the battle," Arthur jokes, sporting a confident smile. “With that said, my starter was indeed Sobble.”

"We're gonna win this for sure!" Brendan exclaims, his Flygon letting out another screeching cry. Their behavior causes Arthur smirks in amusement, but his Inteleon‘s uninterested and unfazed. As the humans have said in the past; he's got this in the bag.

Not wanting to waste anymore time, Arthur gives the first command. "Inteleon, use Sucker Punch." Like a stealthy spy, the bipedal reptilian lunges at Flygon in the blink of an eye, striking her with his head within milliseconds.

'Use Scald." Inteleon points two of his right fingers at Flygon. Boiling water begins to envelop Inteleon's right hand. Then, Inteleon motions his right hand upwards, launching a stream of boiling water towards Flygon at close proximity. Flygon's struck directly in her face.

Boiling water envelops Flygon, and Brendan nervously watches as she takes additional damage from the boiling water. "Uh oh, Flygon's burned," Brendan murmurs, feeling tightness around his eyes as they rapidly blink.

"Use Scald once more." This time, Inteleon points two of his left fingers at Flygon. Boling water begins to envelop Inteleon's left hand, and Inteleon launches a stream of boiling water.

"Flygon, counter with Dragon Pulse!" A turquoise ball of energy forms in front of Flygon's mouth. Flygon launches the ball of energy, and the ball careens into the boiling water, causing a detonation. Clouds of smoke slightly darkens the center of the plaza, only to vanish within two minutes.

"Use Swift." Inteleon swings his right arm like he's a human ninja throwing a shuriken, flinging a flurry of light blue stars at Flygon. Flygon shuts her eyes, enduring the barrage of stars.

"Use Dragon Claw!" Flygon re-opens her eyes, her claws glowing turquoise. Flygon lunges at Inteleon at a high rate of speed, slashing the Water-type Pokémon just under his lower jaw.

"Use Dragon Claw again!" Flygon lunges at Inteleon for a second time, her claws glowing turquoise again.

"Use Double Team.” Inteleon creatures numerous copies of himself, and Flygon slashes several of the copies. As those copies vanish, Flygon rapidly looks around in confusion, attempting to pinpoint the location of the real Inteleon.

Flygon remains flustered over which Inteleon is the real one, and Arthur uses the opportunity to strike back. "Hydro Pump.” As the remaining copies vanish, Inteleon points at Flygon with two fingers on both hand, like he's dual wielding. A powerful torrent of water envelops both of Inteleon's hands, and Inteleon launches them by motioning both hands upwards. Both torrents combine into a larger stream of water, which crashes into Flygon at a high velocity. The in-flight Pokémon crashes into the plaza, causing Brendan's eyes to widen as he lets out a gasp.

"Ice Beam." As Flygon attempts to regain flight, Inteleon fires off a light blue beam of energy from his mouth. The Ice Beam strikes Flygon on her left side. Flygon lets out a cry, reeling from the quadruple effective attacks.

"Ice Beam...I should've expected this," Brendan murmurs, sporting a tight-lipped smile.

"Use Ice Beam again," Arthur commands.

"Counter with Earthquake!" Before Inteleon has a chance to launch another Ice Beam, Flygon slams her tail into the ground as hard as she can, sending a flurry of white shockwaves careening towards the Water-type Pokémon. Inteleon wobbles, attempting to maintain his cool. Inteleon faintly smirks; this wouldn't be very fun if his opponent was too weak.

"Swoop in and use Giga Drain!" Flygon's entire body glows a bright yellow, with each wing protruding a pair of bright yellow energy streams. The energy streams latch onto Inteleon like hooks, and sucks away health to heal Flygon. Inteleon shuts his eyes, his mouth having fallen opened as he attempts to endure the super effective attack. 

Arthur's mouth fell open too, but he quickly shook off the shock. "Well, I cannot that I was expected this," Arthur murmurs, smirking in amusement as the bright yellow energy streams evaporate.

"Stone Edge!" Flygon lets out a loud battle cry as rocks that glow light began to form and surround her. Then, Flygon hurls all of these glowing rocks at Inteleon, who's still pulling himself together from Giga Drain. Inteleon shuts his eyes and crosses his arms in front of his chest, enduring the barrage of rocks.

"Stay strong and use Blizzard," Arthur tells his Inteleon. Inteleon opens his mouth and fires off hundreds of oval snowballs towards Flygon at close proximity. Flygon attempts to endure the relentless barrage, but she's sent crashing into the ground.

"Ice Beam." Once more, Inteleon fires off a light blue beam of energy from his mouth. As she attempts to regain flight, Flygon's hit in the face by Ice Beam The combination of what was mostly Water- type attacks, Ice-type attacks and burn damage proves too much for Flygon. The Ground/Dragon-type lets out a cry to say "good battle' to Inteleon. Inteleon gives a subtle thumbs up as Flygon falls to the ground in defeat.

"Aw man, you beat me," Brendan admits, sporting a content smile as he recalls his Flygon.

"Thank you the battle, mate," Arthur replies, also sporting a content smile as he recalls his Inteleon. "Forgive me for my mannerism earlier."

"Don't worry about it, dawg.' Brendan smiles, giving Arthur a thumbs up.

"Much appreciated," Arthur replies, sporting a content smile.

"You know, you seem like some sort of important person, yet you're hanging out with normal folks,' Brendan remarks, scratching his left cheek.

"Being nobility can a lot more hectic than you think, Brendan," Arthur replies. "Trust me, it is not uncommon for it to be a huge pain in the arse."

“In any case, you’re a cool guy,” Brendan compliments. Then, Brendan’s mouth curves into a mischievous smile. “Not as cool as Valen, though. He actually gets my sense of humor.”

Arthur chuckles over Brendan’s remark, replying. “Well, whenever he chooses to open up to you, you will have a specific commonalty with each other to bond over. The bloke is definitely a much more amicable person than he appears to be, so I hope that he continues-“ Arthur cuts himself off when he realizes that Brendan isn’t standing near him anymore. Arthur looks around, and notices that Brendan’s already gotten himself into another rap battle with a different trainer. Arthur lets out a sigh, stating, “I guess I shall be watching this.”

Brendan’s opponent already went while Arthur wasn’t paying attention. It’s now Brendan’s turn to drop some rhymes. Brendan oozes confidence, bobbing his head to the rhythmic beat. “'How am I gonna succeed when Big B's around?' That's your lil' punk ass thinking out loud. You were talking big, yet you’re still a mystery. My homeboys in Rustboro say you have no history. You’re so shit at this that I’ll need a Full Heal. I’m like my Metagross cuz I’m as hard as steel.” The crowd goes wild in response, causing Arthur to smirk in amusement. 

* * *

It's now early nighttime, and Hilda's already went back to her place. Valen's leaning up against the wall within the dining room while speaking to Melanie via phone. Meanwhile, Rosa's pouting in the living room, because the phone call interrupted her plan to bombard Valen with Sweet Kisses. 

Valen’s already explained everything, and Melanie’s more than happy to accommodate Valen’s request. “Of course I’ll help you out,” Melanie tells Valen, her voice emitting a warm tone.

“Thanks,” Valen replies, sporting a placid smile.

“Hey, since you’re on the phone with me, I think it’s time that I gave you a serious answer about why I’m single," Melanie tells Valen. "I get the feeling that you've been wondering that for sometime."

“I was, Ms. Slowpoke." Valen jokes.

Melanie chuckles at Valen's response. “Believe it or not, I’m actually content with being single,” Melanie admits. “It’s so weird because I love a good romance story and I ship Rosa and you, but I’m not interested in a serious relationship myself.”

"This was unexpected," Valen remarks, raising his eyebrows.

“Besides, I want to keep focusing my attention on being the sister you never had," Melanie gently states.

"So, what's my score?" Valen teases.

"Ten out of ten, because you're a huge pain in the ass," Melanie teases back.

“Hold up, how can you be the sister that I never had and a fangirl at the same time?” Valen questions, sporting an amused smirk. "Kinda creepy don't you think?"

“You brought the fangirls upon yourself, big guy," Melanie teases.

"In any case, I guess it’s my turn to tell you something personal," Valen comments. "I-"

“No, you don’t have to tell me anything," Melanie interrupts.

“Melanie, it wouldn’t feel right,' Valen counters, his mouth having fallen opened. He doesn't understand why Melanie's saying no to this.

“No means no, doofus," Melanie asserts. "Tell me when you feel ready, not when you feel obliged too."

Before Valen can respond, Rosa decides that Melanie has hogged her Valey for long enough. “Valeeeey, Rosa's fallen and she can’t get up!”

“I think I should go before Rosa tackles me,” Valen says, faintly laughing. “I know what she wants.”

“Alright, see you tomorrow,” Melanie replies, letting out a chuckle.

With the call now finished, Valen places his hands in his pockets and saunters into the living room. Valen smirks, having noticed that Rosa's sitting on the carpet, most likely waiting for him to pick her up.

"Valeeeey, my cuteness has immobilized meeee!" Rosa giggles, sporting a coy smile. "Come here and help meee, big booooy!"

"Yeah yeah, you just want my attention," Valen counters, sporting an affectionate smile. "Pain in my ass."

“Tee-hee, I need my hunky booooy to lift meeee!” Rosa giggles again, giving Valen a playful wink.

“Alright, you adorable pain in my ass." Valen kisses Rosa on the lips, wrapping his arms around the middle of Rosa’s body. "Up you go.'

“Yaaaaay!” Rosa sports an ear-to-ear sweet smile as Valen hoists her up. Rosa notices that Valen's face has already fully reddened, teasing, “Oooh, somebody’s still shy!”

“I can’t help it!” Valen yelps, feeling weak in his knees and legs.

“If you’re soooo shy, why don’t you let gooooo?” Rosa teases, her eyelashes fluttering. "Can't resist me, can you?"

“I can't resist lifting you up!” Valen shrieks, his eyes bulging out as he clenches his teeth. “I told you to look at yourself in the mirror for a reason! You're too damn cute, on top of being too damn pretty!”

“Ooooh, now I know what your true intention is, Valen.” Rosa provocatively whispers into Valen’s right ear. "I’d loooove to be restrained by yooooou, big boooy.”

"T-This isn't right!” Valen shrieks. “My innocent cinnamon bun shouldn't be saying things like this! Won’t somebody please of my cinnamon bun!”

"Whatcha gonna do about it, hmmmm?" Rosa teases.

Valen calms down, replying, “You’re lucky that Gardevoir's come to find this funny." Valen gives Rosa an adoring gaze. "I hope Bad Girl Rosa isn't also planning to become a singer. If I hear any dirty songs from my cinnamon bun, we’re gonna have a big problem."

"Nope, that's one avenue where Good Girl Rosa reigns supreme!" Rosa giggles.

"Good," Valen replies, patting a grinning Rosa on the head.

“I still can't believe that you remember every small detail about me!” Rosa gushes, feeling euphoria surging within her.

“I had to gather intel on the cutest and prettiest girl ever.” Valen sports a cocky smile, laughing with pride. Rosa’s jubliant, vivacious nature often makes her a popular girl wherever she goes. Thus, Valen felt that he had to go an extra two miles to make sure that he kept her heart.

“Kyaaaaaaaaa!" Rosa squeals, her eyes sparkling like her necklace. "I don’t care what anybody says! You're the absolute best!”

“Nooooo, really?” Valen sarcastically asks. “Valen’s best boy? That's such a stunning revelation.” Valen decides to sit down on the sofa, continuing to hold Rosa.

“Tee-hee, you’re sooo funny!” Rosa kneels on Valen’s lap and gently presses her lips against Valen's lips. A feeling of warmth surges through both of them as they kiss repeatedly, with Valen trying to figure out why he's not shy about kissing Rosa, but is shy about lifting Rosa up. Even Valen doesn't understand himself at times.

After a little while, Rosa and Valen cease kissing, but they still maintain their holds on each other. “Speaking of intel, I’m guessing Interpol is the reason why that persona of yours vanished, right?” Rosa softly asks.

“Sort of,” Valen replies. “You see, that persona had to vanish for at least a little while due to the military, but then Interpol approached me with a job offer, because they thought I had potential. I couldn’t be that famous if I wanted to work for Interpol, plus I took part in a number of counter-terrorism operations against Team Phantom, who were like our Team Plasma, while in the military.”

”....Team Phantom?” Rosa blinks. “How bad were they?”

“They were priority number one for the military," Valen replies.

”....I’m proud of you.” Rosa kisses Valen on the lips. “You took on really bad people. You’re a hero. You’re my hero.”

”Thanks, that means a lot.” Valen kisses Rosa back.

“Thank you for opening up to me more,” Rosa replies, sporting an affectionate smile. _“Soon, I'll disclose more of my own past to him, including my worries regarding goals."_

“It actually feels good to let it all out,” Valen admits with a faint glimmer of regret, snapping himself out of it before he becomes gloomy again. _"I wanna be free."_

”Maybe you should consider retiring from Interpol,” Rosa softly says. “You’ve been sidelined, after all.”

”That’s a good point,” Valen admits. “By the way, how come you never joined that fan club Hilda mentioned?”

“Tee-hee, did you really think I’d join up with my competition?” Rosa gives Valen a playful wink.

“Seriously?" Valen asks, raising his eyebrows. "That’s your reason?”

“I told you that I’m your biggest fan, my sweetie!” Rosa giggles.

“Heh, thanks," Valen replies. "By the way, we forgot to move the bigger bed to my room."

"Whooooo cares, cuz I'll just cuddle up with you every single night! I know that my big hunky boooy wants meeee as his blanket!” Rosa flirts, giggling upon seeing Valen's blushing yet again. "There's only room for Valey, unless Rosa holds Valey as close to her as possible!"

Valen's not about to give up the flirtation battle without a fight. "Your cuteness and your beauty is the most powerful type combination that I've ever seen." Valen gives Rosa a wink, clicking a tooth once.

"Rosa’s got another barrage of Sweet Kiss attacks ready for yoooou!” Rosa squeals, her face having reddened as she gently pins Valen to the sofa's headrest. "Roar, mineeeee!" Rosa wraps her arms around Valen's neck. Valen places his right hand on the back of Rosa's head and his left hand on Rosa's back. Rosa and Valen begin kissing again, the surge of warmth returning for both of them. Despite his shyness from earlier, Valen feels completely calm as Rosa and him gently press their lips together at a relaxed pace.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sucker Punch is called Surprise Attack in Japanese. Red and green make yellow. and Flygon's wings have both red and green on them. Thus, I chose to use yellow for her Giga Drain attack.
> 
> Yes, you read that right. I referenced the Dark Magician in a Pokémon fanfic.
> 
> Most of the time, singing/rapping are musical references to real songs, but I also thought of some lines on the fly for this chapter. The first four lines in Brendan’s second rap is a reference to Back Down by 50 Cent, and the last two lines of his first rap references The Ripper Strikes Back by LL Cool J. The title’s a reference to Freedom by Akon. Bits of Valen's dialogue references Freedom too. 
> 
> When Valen said 289, he was referring to the V8 engine of the car. I'm not mechanically inclined, but I do know that. Also, I don't know much about motorcycles and I'm not super into motorcycles, but motorcycles suits Valen well.
> 
> Asyut’s a city in Egypt, Apulia’s a region in Italy, and Venteux’s French for Windy(Windy City), and Bremen’s a city in Germany.
> 
> Like The Emotion Thesaurus(second edition), The Urban Setting Thesaurus has been a big help. I highly recommend looking into those two.
> 
> Revisions include extended dialogue, dialogue/text alterations, and added details.


	21. The Past & The Present

It's late morning, and Valen's decided to check the statuses of current investigations via his laptop. He may have been sidelined due to PTSD, but his rank of lieutenant allows him access to the database. Valen may have realized that he’d lost positive emotions, but his sense of duty's compelling him to check up on these investigations.

First, Valen checks up on the current status regarding the gangsters who followed Rosa. It turns out that during the first two incidents of Rosa being followed, the suspects were caught on tape. Furthermore, Valen realizes that his hunch was correct—the Galarian Mafia was behind this. Valen knows this because the men in the footage have been seen in surveillance photos meeting with higher ups within the Galarian Mafia. Maybe the threat of stiff jail time can convince one of them to talk, but Valen’s worked organized crime cases in the past. The chances of encountering a Shiny Pokémon is higher than the chances of getting hardened gangsters to rat on their criminal brethren.

Valen decides to look at the information Interpol’s got on the local crew run by Wes, which isn’t much. Valen already knew that The Southies include some of the most vicious gangsters within the underworld; men such as Finn “The Gent” Madden, Timothy “Ice Pick Timmy” Cooney, James “Jimmy Slashers” Murphy, Daniel “Machine Gun Danny” Byrne, Anthony “Teflon Tony” Gallagher, Patrick “Dasher” Walsh, and Abraham “Bloody Knuckles” Sweeney are whom Rui came into contact with during her attempts to find Wesley "Bloodbath" O'Sullivan, and convince him to come back into her life. “These guys are close associates of the ‘Ndrangheta....a syndicate that even a man like Giovanni prefers to avoid provoking....allegedly, but I believe it.”

Valen’s about to check the status of the hunt for Orre war criminals when he suddenly pauses. A few seconds later, Valen exits the database. “...I dunno what to do. If I turned in my badge, I’d lose access to this, but if I want to remain on the right path, I might have to retire.” Valen says as he stands up, letting a out a deep, weighed sigh. Valen glances at a small box on his round walnut table. Instead of carrying them around like he’s been doing, Valen’s already decided to put his two military medals in there. Valen plans to put the small box in his closet. "...I don't want this. I don't want this life anymore. It felt so good to be happy. It felt so good to have fun again. However, I don't know if I can-" Valen's eyes slightly widen as arms are wrapped around his mid-section. Valen feels a surge of calmness and warmth flowing through him, causing his mouth curving into an affectionate smile. "Hi, best girl." Valen says, closing his eyes and basking in the warmth he's feeling.

“Hi sweetie, is this a bad time to come in?” Rosa softly asks, holding Valen as tightly as she can. “I heard what you were saying, so I had to make you feel better.”

“Heh, thanks,” Valen replies. “In your case, there's never a bad time to come in.”

”....You know, since you confided me, I think it’s time that I confided in you," Rosa informs, letting go of Valen. "You know what I'm talking about, don't you?"

Valen turns around, raising her eyebrows. “You mean what happened between you and L-”

“Yes, it’s time I gave you more details about what happened between Lars and I.” Rosa replies, furrowing her brow and tightening her lips. “I'm done running away. I'm going to be a fighter, just like the guy that I love. You fought off the most horrific aspect of your darkness, so now it's my turn to do the same.”

“Are you sure?” Valen asks, concerned if Rosa's really ready to disclose this information.

“I'm very sure, Valen,” Rosa affirms. “If Lars shows his face around me again, I'll make him the victim! I'm gonna fight, and I'm gonna win!”

Feeling how determined Rosa's become, Valen's mouth curves into a proud smile. “That's my girl.” Valen pats Rosa on the head, causing her to sport a soft smile. Rosa sits next to Valen on his bed. Valen gives Rosa a full embrace, kissing her on the lips. “You're gonna need the affection this time.”

“Thanks, sweetie,” Rosa replies, sporting a tender smile. Rosa wraps her arms around Valen's mid-section, resting her head against Valen's right shoulder.

“How did Lars find out about you?” Valen asks, placing his right hand on the back of Rosa's head.

“Well, I'm not exactly an unknown person, so he probably found me out through me being a popular girl,” Rosa explains, biting her lower lip. “I first met Lars shorty after I turned seventeen. He vanished several months later, but not before making me afraid of relationships. Lars acted in a similar manner as you did, but-

“He tricked you.”

“Y-Yeah,” Rosa admits, slightly shivering over having to remember what Lars did to her. “However, I was also really stupid-“ Rosa cuts herself off. Rosa feels a thickness in her throat. She's deeply ashamed about what she's going to say, plus she's worried how Valen will react.

“It’s alright, I won’t get angry,” Valen softly says as he kisses the top of Rosa’s head. “I learned my lesson.”

Rosa gives Valen a sad smile, thankful for his attempt to make her feel comfortable while talking about a traumatic situation. “I had this stupid idea where I’d be an antihero, fighting Team Plasma as a member of Team Rocket,” Rosa admits, feeling an overwhelming degree of regret. “I’m sorry, Valen. I-“

“I could care less, because I love you,” Valen interrupts, sporting a tender smile.

Rosa's mouth slightly falls open, but she quickly realizes that there’s no need to be shocked. Rosa kisses Valen on the lips, replying “Thanks, my sweetie,” Rosa sports a tender smile as she caresses Valen's upper left arm. “I love you too.”

“You made a stupid mistake, not an illegal one,” Valen points out in a soft tone.

“If I had told you this sooner, then maybe we wouldn't have had....maybe I wouldn't have hurt you that day.”

“Don't worry, I'm not gonna lash out again. I promise,” Valen reassures in a comforting tone. “Please, keep going.”

“...I was so naïve that I didn’t realize how bad they were...and are,” Rosa laments, her voice cracking with emotion. “I dropped that stupid idea, but Lars already took advantage of it, and he used it to coerce me into Team Rocket.”

“What exactly did he tell you?” Valen asks.

“That I have to join them for my own survival, because the police are after me, and I believed him....I was so stupid back then,” Rosa chokes up. Rosa knows that the police was never after her, because she did nothing wrong. However, fear's a powerful weapon when utilized by those with vile intentions.

“Rosa, you’re not a bad person,” Valen points out, sporting a tender smile. “There’s no evil in your heart.”

"You're too good to me, Valen," Rosa replies, shedding a few tears. "I'm so glad that it's you whom I fell in love with.”

"Right back at you," Valen softly replies, patting Rosa on the head. “So, how'd you escape Team Rocket?”

“Well, I ran away as fast as I could....I know bad Team Rocket is, but I feel guilty by association. I’m sorry for lying and hiding,” Rosa tells Valen, shedding a few tears. “I-“

“It’s not your fault,” Valen cuts Rosa off, affectionately patting on the head while sporting a tender smile. “You’re a victim.”

“...Thanks for being so considerate, my sweetie," Rosa replies, moving her arms upward to sweep Valen into a hug. "You helped me long before I could ever help you. It's thanks to you that I know what genuine love is like."

_”Rosa’s lucky...several girls ended up in jail because of him. They were freed, but...to think Rosa could’ve been one of them....it makes me sick.”_

“You alright, Valen?” Rosa asks, snapping Valen back into focus.

Valen nods. "How’d you avoid ending up like me?” Valen asks, letting go of Rosa and vice versa. "I know our experiences were different, but dealing with Lars was and is a traumatic experience for you."

“Well, I decided that the best way to heal was to be my usual self," Rosa replies with a tender smile, her voice emitting a gentle tone. “Sure, seeing Lars again brought back bad memories, but that misunderstanding we had couldn’t break us apart. We would have made up regardless, because you showed me the true strength of our love for each other.”

"I wish I had done the same," Valen somberly admits. ”We did have some contact with each other after the war, then I vanished. You remember, right?”

”...Yeah, I remember.” Rosa's mouth curves into a frown. "I...I really should've asked about your well being. I'm sorry about that too."

Valen pats Rosa on the head again, causing her to sport a sad smile. “If I had done what you did during that timeframe, I might have never have ended up like this,” Valen admits. “Living a very serious life had a huge effect on me, but I had to suppress emotions if I wanted to get revenge. I went from somebody who very much preferred to avoid having to kill....to somebody who's become numb when squeezing the trigger."

Rosa clenches her fists, mustering up the courage to ask more questions about Valen’s role as an assassin. “What...what was your...role when you became...when you swore vengeance?”

”I was a sniper,” Valen replies. “I can’t say anymore than that.”

“I’m guessing that you felt like you had no choice in becoming an assassin? You can tell me that, can’t you?”

“....Yeah, I wish I could have saved more...we all did...so after swearing an eye for an eye, we went down the path of revenge.”

“"Your sense of duty really does hurts you because it’s too strong.”

"...I'm sorry," Valen says, shedding a few tears.

“Sorry for what?” Rosa asks, glancing downwards to avoid seeing Valen cry. “There’s no need to be sorry. Please don’t cry. You know that I hate seeing you cry.”

“This could’ve all been avoided,” Valen laments as more tears stream down his cheeks. “I could have avoided deployment completely by quitting when it looked like war was inventible. Maybe I should've never enlisted in the first place. Looks like we both made a really bad mistake.”

“I could care less, because I love you,” Rosa counters, mustering up the strength to look directly into Valen's watery eyes with a loving gaze. “Your words go both ways, my sweetie.”

“R-Rosa-" Valen goes silent as Rosa sweeps into a hug, wrapping her arms around his neck. Valen begins to sob loudly, hugging Rosa back. "I'm sorry for everything wrong I've done! I'm sorry, Rosa! I'm so sorry!"

“It’s okay, my sweetie,” Rosa softly consoles, kissing Valen on the lips. "Everything’s going to be okay."

"I don't want this!" Valen sobs become even louder. "I don't want to feel miserable anymore! It felt so good feeling positive emotions again! Change is hard, but I'll keep trying! I promise, Rosa!"

"You’re making good progress," Rosa softly replies. “I’m always going to be here for you, so there’s no need to cry, kaaay?”

Valen’s able to calm down, replying. ”I’m always going to be here for you too, Rosa.”

”I know you will,” Rosa softly replies, kissing Valen on the lips again.

Valen and Rosa let go of each other, but Valen's got a lot on his mind. "...You know, Hilda's going to go back to Unova one day...actually everybody but Silver and you will be going back to their regions one day," Valen comments, his eyes still moist. "I don’t wanna be selfish, but how will I cope with that?"

”Valen, true friendships will never end because of distance,” Rosa lovingly reassures. We chat all the time, whether through phone, text, video chat, Glaliebook, Smeraglegram, and so on."

"You...you promise that they won't...forget about me?" Valen asks, his eyebrows curving downwards. “I don’t wanna be forgotten anymore....you promise that it won’t happen?”

"I promise, my sweetie," Rosa softly replies.

"....Okay...thank you." Valen sports a sad smile.

"...I can sense that you have something else that's bothering you," Rosa says, bowing her head. "Please, tell me what it is."

"..."Promise me that you'll focus on your dreams," Valen requests, letting out a heavy sigh. "Don't lose sight of your goals because of a mess like me."

Tears start to stream down Rosa's cheeks. "Please....don't degrade yourself like that." Rosa sniffles. "I don't like....I don't like it when you do that."

"Your singing dream came to be when you were sixteen. I met you when you were nineteen," Valen points out. "That dream of yours is unrelated to me."

"It's true that it's unrelated to you....but is it wrong that I want you to see me achieve my goals?" Rosa somberly asks, now slumping on Valen's bed. "Is it wrong that I want you....to be proud of me?"

"Rosa, you shouldn't consider me as a factor for goals that you want for yourself," Valen replies. "That's all I'm trying to say."

"I know, but you keep acting like you’re a nuisance for me....instead of somebody that I really care about." Rosa whimpers, shutting her eyes for a few seconds. "You....you value yourself so little...it's painful to watch."

"I'm definitely a nuisance, as it's because of me that your goals are on hold." Valen lets out a heavy sigh.

"...Answer a question for me." Rosa's body tenses up as anger builds up inside of her. "Is singing and being a famous trainer abroad more important than someone's personal well being?" Rosa asks, her eyebrows angling downwards. "Is it wrong to put my personal dreams on hold to help someone who's irreplaceable in my eyes?"

"....Well....no...but you're spending so much time to make sure that I'm okay," Valen laments. "You haven't even battled in a little bit, have you?"

"....No....no I haven't." Rosa tightens her fists. "However, you need to stop this...right now." Rosa can't contain her anger anymore. She feels like she's about to explode.

"See what I mean? I'm a-"

"Shut your damn mouth!" Rosa interjects, screaming at the top of her lungs as tears start to stream down her cheeks. "Don't you ever consider yourself a nuisance for me ever again! Do I make myself clear, Valen?!"

"R-Rosa-"

"Shut the fuck up and listen to me!” Rosa grimaces, sniffling as she seethes with anger. Rosa places her hands over her tightening ribs. "Listen, I'm not some uncaring jerk who only cares about herself! I actually care about people! My heart still hurts over the full extent of your suffering!“

"...I appreciate all that you do for me, but you can't lose sight of your own goals."

"That doesn't mean you have to degrade yourself like this! What's the matter with you?! Why do you have to be so fucking negative?!" Rosa counters, fixating a furious glare at Valen while her tears increase. Rosa moves her right hand upwards, placing it on her aching heart. "Don’t you get it?! I need you, Valen! I need you in my life! Maybe I need you more than you need me!”

"You're really generous, but you can't sacrifice your goals just for me," Valen explains. 

"How do you expect me not to worry for someone who admitted to having thoughts about ending it all?!" Rosa grimaces, whimpering as tears flood down her face like an overflowing river. “Think, Valen! FUCKING THINK FOR ONCE! PLEASE! I don't want to lose you forever! I'm very worried about you! That's why I'm having trouble focusing on my dreams!"

".....I really do appreciate everything you've done for me, but I know you." Valen lets out a heavy sigh. "You can be generous to a fault, and that can hurt you. It's just like how my strong sense of duty hurts me."

Rosa takes several deep breaths to calm herself down."....I know...I know...and you're right. I can't hurt myself like that." Rosa gives Valen a tender smile. "Don't worry, I'll achieve my goals because I want to achieve them," Rosa reassures, caressing Valen's left cheek. 

Valen sweeps Rosa into a hug, stating, “Listen, I'm much better than I used to be. You’re rightfully worried, but I won’t fall into that level of despair ever again.”

"....Promise?" Rosa whimpers, hugging Valen back. “I don’t...want to lose you.”

"I promise," Valen softly replies. "Please don’t worry about me so much.”

"...Okay, I'll try." Rosa replies, kissing Valen on the lips. Rosa lets go of Valen and vice versa. "I'm sorry for getting mad at you."

Valen pats Rosa on the head in response to her reply and apology, causing her to sport a somber smile. "What about your past?" Valen asks. "Are you afraid that it'll come back to haunt you?"

Rosa's eyes widen in shock, but she calms down about a minute later. "....Probably.....even if I was coerced, that's something that could be leaked out to ruin my reputation."

"You mean...like blackmail?"

"Kind of...somebody who's jealous or corrupt could have my darker past exposed...thus ruining my dreams and destroying any reputation that I have."

"....I'm not just a tool, am I?" Valen asks, his eyebrows curved downwards. 

"Of course not," Rosa reassures, kissing Valen on the lips. "You know I really do love you with all my heart. I just....I'm scared....and I feel the safest around you. I don't want to use you as a tool....but if I ever did....I'm sorry."

"....I trust you, so you're forgiven," Valen replies, causing Rosa to kiss him on the lips again. "There must be something that I can do about this."

Rosa perks up at this, her mouth falling open. "Y-You can prevent that?"

"Blackmail's illegal, Rosa," Valen points out. "Even if I retire, other members of law enforcement will investigate."

"....What if somebody-"

"Rosa, I got promoted sooner than I expected because they liked the end results," Valen interrupts. "I specialize in covering up tracks, such as helping undercovers or protecting witnesses. I can help you too."

"....Thanks, but what about Lars?" Rosa asks.

"Do you really think someone of his rank would come out so publicly?" Valen counters. "Rosa, he's still a high ranking organized crime figure. It's not like he's got any sort of legit cover."

"O...Okay...I'll try to...keep all of that in mind," Rosa replies, biting her lower lip. "T-Thanks....Valen."

"You were and are popular, so I'm sure you got hit on by guys who only saw you as eye candy," Valen laments. "When you're popular, you don't always attract....genuine people."

"....Y-Yeah, that's why I'm also afraid," Rosa somberly admits. "I really do want to achieve my goals, and I become popular easily, but....what if the same thing happens again? I'll still be a people person, but what if I'm approached by people solely because I'm popular? What if guys only want to be my friend because they see me as eye candy....instead of an actual person?"

"You're forgetting that I used to be famous," Valen replies. "I never let that kind of thing bother me. I had friends, family, and a bunch of loyal fans. I've come to learn that I still have loyal fans."

"....Will you....will you always see me as Rosa? Even if I become famous?" Rosa asks, her eyes becoming watery.

"Of course," Valen replies, patting Rosa on the head. "I may have learned of you via that popularity, but since we got to know each other, I've always seen you as Rosa. I'm also proud of you for telling me all of this. That takes a lotta courage, Rosa."

"....Thanks, sweetie," Rosa softly replies. "Please try to remember that you're invaluable as a friend....and for me, irreplaceable as a boyfriend."

"I'll try...it won't be easy, but I'll try," Valen promises.

Rosa's already decided that it's time for a little fun so Valen doesn't feel sad anymore. ”Moving on, we do need to talk about our origin story.” Rosa sports a playful smile as she rests her forehead against Valen’s forehead, giggling as the latter's eyes widen. “We both know that the real reason you gave me a rose was because you thought I was super cuteeee."

""Your cuteness level's still over nine thousand!” Valen exclaims, his face having already reddened. "This is an unsafe amount of cuteness!"

"You need to tell the truth about what happened that day," Rosa teases, her eyelids fluttering as she sports a flirtatious smile. "We both know that I’m your biggest weakness."

"This is why I've told you to look at yourself in the mirror!” Valens shrieks. "Not only do you have a super adorable personality, but you're also really pretty!"

Several seconds later, both Valen and Rosa burst out laughing, with Valen asking, “You riled me up so I stopped being sad, didn’t you?”

“Yeeeep, and it worked!” Rosa cheerfully exclaims, sporting a sweet smile as Valen pats her on the head in response.

“Honestly, I'm still proud of how I approached you,” Valen admits, sporting a cocky smirk. "Who needs a person when your wingman is a Salamence?"

"....Heh, and to think I was still hesitant about dating you," Rosa faintly laughs.

"You still looked for me, didn't you?" Valen teases.

"Obviously, you silly boy," Rosa playfully smacks Valen on his left check. "Who wouldn't want to get to know you after hearing the things you said to me? Hahahaha, when they heard your smooth talking, Nate and Hugh leaned back and shouted 'DAAAAAAAAAAAAMN!' That caused Hilbert, Cheren, Bianca, Skyla, Roxie, and Iris to roll on the ground in hysterics. Even N couldn't help but chuckle."

"I'm just that awesome." Valen smugly laughs.

"Only you can handle this cute and pretty queen, big boooy," Rosa flirts, placing a finger on her lower lip as she maintains strong eye contact with Valen.

"Hey queen, gimme more kisses," Valen teases, sporting an adoring smile. "I'm a greedy knight who wants all of the queen's affection."

"Kaaaay, here I comeeeee!" Rosa exclaims, making out with Valen again. Unbeknownst to Valen and Rosa, Gardevoir's been standing outside of the room the entire time, leaning on the wall right of Valen's slightly open door. Gardevoir's got her arms folded, sporting a content smile over Valen's progress.

* * *

It's now early afternoon, and as the sun beams down upon the neighborhood, Valen and Rosa walk out of the house and onto the front steps, which creak as they walk down. Valen and Rosa plan to wait outside of the house, as Melanie and Hilda are on the way. As they wait, the duo discusses the current status of Rosa's move into the house. “For some reason, the furniture you wanted to bring hasn’t arrived yet." Valen scratches the top of his head.

“Oh no, I forgot to tell you!" Rosa gasps. “I talked to Dimitri about it, and he said it was a drop in the bucket!" 

"Heh, figures." Valen faintly laughs. _"He's the seventeenth richest person in the world. Now, if only he'd show me his car collection. He’s got some really interesting rides.”_

“I’ve decided to only bring the belongings I brought and bought and start over for my new life with my amazing sweetie!” Rosa exclaims, beaming with joy. “This house will become our palace, Valey!”

"Yes, yes it will," Valen comments, patting a grinning Rosa on the head.

“Tee-hee, my Valey pharaoh’s getting a golden throne!” Rosa exclaims, sporting a broad grin. Rosa wants to surprise Valen with the chair that Hilda showed her. 

“Valey...pharaoh?” Valen asks, blinking in confusion.

“Yeeeep, Valey pharaoh, or Pharaoh Sweetie! Or whatever I feel like calling you!”

"You're so adorable that it's unsafe." Valen pats a grinning Rosa on the head. "Did you talk to your friends and family back in Unova about staying in this region?”

“I have, and they’re supportive of my decision,” Rosa replies. “Don’t worry, kay?”

“I won’t worry, but I do think that it’s fair we try to visit Unova on a somewhat regular basis,” Valen admits, sporting a soft smile. “My mom’s still got a villa there, and I don’t want you to get homesick.”

“Awwww, you’re spoiling me!” Then, Rosa notices that Valen's wearing a different black jacket than the usual one he wears. "Oooooh, that Team Skull leather jacket looks really good on you!"

Valen smirks, replying, “I’m your boy Valen, so obviously something this badass is gonna look good on me." Valen turns around, proudly showing the jacket's Team Skull logo to Rosa. "I'm still Team Skull's Valen. I'm just that awesome, ya know?"

Rosa giggles, but becomes a bit more serious seconds later. "Hey, since you know my dreams, can you tell me yours?" Rosa softly asks, causing Valen's eyes to slightly widen. "I'm sure you have at least one, right?"

Valen takes a deep breath, sporting a placid smile. "Yeah, I've been missing my glory days a trainer for sometime now," Valen admits. "Your enthusiasm really makes me want to return as The Black Reaper, but I still have to improve more."

"I want to make a name for myself here, while you want to regain your past fame," Rosa states, sporting a soft smile. "We'll probably be battling on our own in many cases. If we have to face each other in battle, let's give it our all."

Valen nods, stating, "We both know that the outcome won't matter." Valen offers Rosa a fist bump. "Together forever."

"From now until the end of time.” Rosa accepts Valen's fist bump. 

"I'm guessing that applies to friendship too?" Valen asks. "If you have to battle your friends, I mean."

"Of course, silly!" Rosa giggles. "Rosa brings happiness and makes friends wherever she goes! Nothing can break Rosa's friendships!"

"....Hey, you still wanna form a tag team?" Valen asks. "The Black Reaper and The Battle Queen. How does that sound?"

"That's Battle Queen Rosa to you, silly." Rosa playfully smacks Valen on his left cheek. "Let's kick everyone's butt, whether it's by ourselves or together."

Valen nods, proudly stating, "As if your boy Valen's capable of anything less."

"Heeey, Valen! Heeey, Rosa!" Hilda calls out to the duo, happily closes her eyes.

"Hey, big guy," Melanie calls out to Valen, sporting a friendly smile. "I hope you don't mind the fact that I brought more people along."

"Nah, it's fine," Valen reassures.

"Hiiii, Mr. Meanie!" Leaf happily waves.

"Hey, you've got a surprise visitor," Calem informs, sporting the faintest smile. “An old friend’s been very eager to see you.”

"Who?" Valen notes that everybody's got either an amused smile or a playful smirk. Then, Valen joins the smirking crowd when he realizes what's going on. "You mean the person hiding behind my fence?' Valen glances over to his left, saying, "Come on out, Serena."

"H-How did you know?!" Serena wails, remaining behind the fence in embarrassment.

"Who else would it be?' Valen retorts. "When I'm actually paying attention, I know when people are hiding."

"In this case, the fence isn't enclosed in the middle, so you spotted spotted her instantly." Melanie smirks. "Am I right, Valen?"

"One hundred percent," Valen replies, having recognized Serena by the dark pink hat and black tank top that she loves to wear. 

"Oh come on!" Serena pouts. "I wanted to see your surprised expression!"

"We warned you," Calem chuckles.

"We warned you twice," Melanie chimes in.

"Valen's really good at hiding and seeking!" Rosa giggles.

"By the way, the fencing isn’t original,” Valen admits. “The original fencing wasn’t salvageable. It was long gone by the time I moved in.”

"Regardless, I wish I had known about the fence prior." Serena smacks her face with her left hand.

"Come here, give your boy a hug," Valen tells Serena, sporting a beaming smile. "It's good to see you again."

"As if I wasn't gonna do that already!" Serena happily shouts as she rushes towards Valen, sweeping him into a hug. "It's really nice to see you again!"

”How’ve you been?” Valen asks as he hugs Serena back.

”I should be asking you that, Mr. Mystery," Serena teases, sporting a beaming smile.

"I'll explain in due time," Valen replies, letting go of Serena and vice-versa. "It's...kinda complicated to say the least. Sorry, I....I had it really rough....so I grew distant from everyone."

"Don't worry, I've already been told what happened," Serena replies, sporting a sad smile. "Take your time, okay? Just remember that I'm also here for you."

"...Alright, thanks." Valen smiles.

Serena notices Valen's leather jacket, and becomes enamored with it. "Valen, you look sooooo coool in that Team Skull jacket!" Serena happily exclaims. The, Serena sees that Rosa's wearing the necklace that the latter kept talking about, and goes gaga. "Oh my gooooooooooooooooosh!" Serena squeals, her sparkling eyes fixated on the diamonds that line the necklace. “Rosa, that necklace’s even more gorgeous than it looked in the photos you sent! It looks sooooo good on you!"

“Tee-hee, thank you!" Rosa happily closes her eyes, showing her elated friend the emerald with Serperior engravings. "I wear it everyday and everywhere!”

"Woooow, that emerald's so pretty!" Serena gushes. "I can see why you bring up Valen so much!"

"Yeeep, my Valey's the best!" Rosa grins as she clasps her hands next to her right cheek. "I can't wait for the day that I become Mrs. Rosa Barsotti! Kyaaaaaaaaa!"

"Don't forget to invite us!" Hilda happily exclaims.

"Tee-hee, everybody's going to be invited!" Rosa proclaims.

"It's too soon, cinnamon bun." Valen pats Rosa on the top of her head, causing her to sport a winsome smile.

"Valen, you have no idea how many times your name has come up in group chats!" Serena happily exclaims, glancing behind her towards her old friend. "Calem never gets me anything nice, so good job not being Calem!”

Calem's eyes widen, attempting to respond to being called out like this. “S-Serena, we’re just f-“

“Does it look like I care?” Serena asks, now sporting a scowl as she furrows her eyebrows. “Get me something nice, or I’m gonna make you perform in a Pokémon Musical again.”

“Oh come on!” Calem howls. “That was borderline humiliating!” Two and a half years ago, Calem was forced to emulate Valen's past persona. However, Calem failed to realize that even though The Black Reaper vanished, his fangirls were still around. Thus, the Unova fan club started throwing tomatoes at him. The club's president, Hilda, put a stop to it. That's how both Calem and Serena got to know Hilda in real life, as they initially befriended her online via Rosa. On the other hand, Calem's Dragapult liked the top hat, the monocle and the black cape that Serena wanted him to try on. Dragapult wouldn't leave without them, so Calem had to buy them. 

“Be good, Serena.” Valen sports a devious grin, having decided to help Calem out. “You remember what happens if you aren’t good, don’t you?"

“N-Not the slime!” Serena yelps. “A-Anything but the slime!" Serena backs up as Valen gets closer, having been joined by a deviously grinning Rosa.

“Yeeeeeees, the slimeeee!” Rosa and Valen laugh together. "You'll never escape us!"

"You can dump the slime on Calem because he has no fashion sense, but please don't dump the slime on me again!" Serena exclaims, narrowing her eyes at Calem's blue jacket. "Seriously, he needs some Gucci or Armani clothes and accessories!"

"Hey, don't sell me out to save your own ass!" Calem screams.

"You're coming with me to the mall, mister!" Serena scolds. "Everybody must look at least somewhat stylish when I'm around!"

”....Nobody present is wearing anything like that,” Valen murmurs, blinking in confusion.

Valen, we both know that this is typical Serena.” Rosa sighs. “This girl’s in need of an intervention over her high-end fashion obsession.”

Valen walks closer to Calem and Serena. "All fun and games aside, I'm glad you're all here." Valen, Calem, and Serena exchange a fist bump. "Thanks for coming," Valen says, sporting a broad grin. "We've got catching up to do."

"Yes we do!" Serena happily exclaims.

"Nice to see some change," Calem remarks, sporting an approving smile.

Valen walks over to Hilda, Melanie, and Leaf. The four of them exchange a fist bump at the same time.

"You're right, Leaf" Valen laughs. "I don't mind that nickname."

"Hee hee, I knew it!" Leaf giggles.

Valen turns his head rightwards towards Hilda, stating, “By the way, you’re third best girl.”

“I knew I’d be right after Melanie and Rosa.” Hilda smugly grins.

“Noooooooo!” Leaf wails.

“I’ve known you for longer!” Serena pouts.

”Typical sweetie.” Rosa affectionately smiles. “Always up to some mischief.”

”He’s a master troll.” Melanie faintly laughs.

Valen turns to Serena, asking. "Hey, do you know how a number of us greet people in this region?"

"Well, I-"

"Think you got what it takes to defeat your boy Valen?" Valen asks, sporting a confident, lopsided grin.

"Is that a challenge?" Serena questions, sporting a confident smirk as her eyebrows downwards. Unbeknownst to everybody else, Rosa's trying to contain her laughter upon hearing Serena utter these words.

"Yep," Valen declares as he calls out his Golisopod.

“Ah, I forgot that you had a Golisopod!” Serena yelps in embarrassment.

“Seriously? You forgot that he had a Golisopod?” Calem groans.

“Relax," Valen counters, causing Serena to close her eyes and sport a proud smile. “Maybe it slipped her mind by mistake.”

"I told you that I'm his favorite Kalosian girl, didn't I?" Serena teases, causing Calem to groan.

"You're the only Kalosian girl he befriended," Calen retorts.

"That's because I'm the most stylish Kalosian girl." Serena laughs.

Then, Rosa bursts out with boisterous laughter, catching everyone off guard. "Serena, why accept a battle you can't win?!" Rosa teases. "How can you win against the boyfriend of Battle Queen Rosa?! Hahahahahahaha!"

"I'm gonna prove you wrong!" Serena proclaims, sporting a scowl.

"Sure you will!" Rosa tears up in hysterics. "Next, you'll be telling me that Hilda's Umbreon and Leaf's Espeon will develop a specific food obsession!"

"Hey, I'm not Calem!"

"That was one time! I didn't know they'd vomit!"

"You still owe us!" Hilda and Leaf scold.

"I don't owe you anything!" Calem screams.

* * *

Valen, Serena, and the others have gone to the battle arena near Valen's house. Valen and Serena stand on opposite sides. Rosa, Melanie, Hilda, Leaf, and Calem stand outside of the arena in the center.

Serena takes out a Poké Ball, stating, "I'll use my Jolteon!" Serena presses the button to let her Pokémon out. Jolteon lets out a howl as electricity sparks all around his body. Serena notices Valen's laughing for seemingly no reason. “Uh, what’s so funny?” Serena asks, blinking in confusion.

“Since everyone here already knows it, there’s no point in hiding it among you lot,” Valen replies, smirking as he pulls out a pair of sunglasses.

Serena's mouth slightly falls open. “Wait, do you mean-“

“As scary as fangirls are, this group of fangirls are actually pretty tolerable," Valen interrupts, faintly laughing. "Of course, one of them is my adorable girlfriend, so she always got a pass. That won't change.”

“Tee-hee, Valey knows he can’t resist this cute face!” Rosa happily exclaims, pointing to her winsome smile with both hands. "I'm his biggest weakness!"

 _“Can anybody with a heart resist her level of cuteness?”_ Valen gives Rosa an adoring smile, then turns his attention back to Serena. “You wanna see what Armageddon looks like? I'm gonna show you." Valen sports a confident grin as he puts on his sunglasses. "It's your boy, The Black Reaper."

“Kyaaaaaaaaaaaa! He said a different version of the line!” Rosa, Hilda, Leaf, and Serena squeal, their eyes sparkling like gemstones.

“Yes, I stayed calm this time!” Melanie happily proclaims. 

"W-Wait, I can't gush over my opponent, no matter how cool he is!" Serena yelps, her face reddening in embarrassment. 

"Get ready for this," Valen says, his Golisopod letting out a robotic screech as he bangs his arms on his chest.

"Oh, I'm ready!" Serena counters, her Jolteon letting out another howl as electricity sparks all over his body.

Valen places his hands in his pockets, sporting a confident smirk. “Use First Impression," Valen commands in a lowered tone. Golisopod moves so fast that it seems to disappear, reappearing right in front of Jolteon. Golisopod strikes the Electric-type quadruped on the left side of his face.

"Use Brick Break." Golisopod's right claw glows white and it charges towards Jolteon. 

Serena smirks, as she's ready to counter. "Counter with Agility!" Jolteon dashes out of the way, running around in circles so fast that he appears to disappear and reaper.

"Thunder Fang!" Jolteon bears his fangs, which glow lightning yellow. Then, Jolteon lunges towards Golisopod at a high rate of speed.

"Counter with Iron Defense." Golisopod crosses her arms and his entire body glows metallic blue. Jolteon bites down on Golisopod's left arm. Golisopod closes it eyes and staggers slightly, but quickly regains his composure.

"Uh oh, looks like somebody got too close," Valen laughs, his eyebrows angling downwards. "Use Poison Jab." As Jolteon attempts to back away, Golisopod's right claw glows purple, and it strikes Jolteon in the middle of his underside. Jolteon yelps as he crashes to the ground. As he gets back up, Jolteon glows purple, yelping again as he takes additional damage."

"Oh come on!" Serena exclaims, placing her hands on her hips as she pouts. "Why did the secondary effect of Poison Jab have to occur when I'm battling this guy of all people?!"

""Use Brick Break." Once again, Golisopod's right claw glows white and it charges towards Jolteon. This time, Golisopod strikes Jolteon on the top of his head, sending him stumbling. However, Jolteon's able to pull himself back together, howling at a cackling Golisopod.

"Ah, I need to focus!" Serena snaps herself back into focus. "Use Thunderbolt!" Jolteon fires off a powerful bolt of electricity towards Golisopod. The arthropod crosses his arms, attempting to endure the attack as electricity envelops his entire body. Nevertheless, Golisopod staggers from the attack. 

"Yes, now we're getting somewhere!" Serena happily shouts. "Use Shock Wave!" Jolteon's body glows blue, and he fires off a blue lightning bolt. Golisopod's struck in the front center of the body, causing him to bend downwards as he reels from both Electric-type attacks. 

"Shadow Ball!" A purplish black sphere of energy forms in front of Jolteon's mouth. As Golisopod reels from the two previous attacks, Jolteon fires off the sphere of energy. Golisopod's hit in the top of his head, causing him to nearly lose balance. However, Golisopod's able to stand upright. He's not going down without a fight.

"Not bad," Valen compliments, sporting a friendly smile. "You're still as strong as ever, Serena."

"You too, Valen!" Serena happily exclaims, giving Valen a thumbs up.

"Use Swords Dance." Golisopod crosses his arms and glows light blue. Then, light blue swords form and around Golisopod. The swords begin to rotate rapidly like a dreidel, eventually vanishing as the light blue glow becomes more vibrant. Golisopod lets out a booming, robotic cry, flexing its arms as a show of strength.

"Good choice," Calem notes. "All of Golisopod's attacks are physical moves."

 _“Uh oh, that means Golisopod's physical attacks are going to be more powerful,"_ Serena thinks to herself. Serena furrows her eyebrows, commanding, "Use Electro Ball!"

"Sucker Punch." Before Jolteon can even prepare to launch his Electro Ball attack, Golisopod vanishes, the reappears inches away from Jolteon, striking the spiky quadruped in the right cheek with its right claw.

"That was a smart counter," Melanie observes with a bright smile. "Sucker Punch always strikes first."

"Use Swords Dance again." Once again, Golisopod crosses his arms and glows light blue. Then, light blue swords form and around Golisopod. The swords begin to rotate rapidly like a dreidel, eventually vanishing as the light blue glow becomes more vibrant. Golisopod cackles over the fact his attacks will do even more damage.

"Another Swords Dance," Hilda notes, her mouth curving into a placid smile. "He must be planning to launch some big attacks soon."

 _"I have to win this as soon as possible, otherwise poison damage or the next batch of attacks will end the battle,"_ Serena tells herself. 

"Use Swords Dance one more time." For the third time, Golisopod crosses his arms and glows light blue. Then, light blue swords form and around Golisopod. The swords begin to rotate rapidly like a dreidel, eventually vanishing as the light blue glow becomes more vibrant. Golisopod closes his eyes with pride, feeling confident that he'll definitely win now.

"Triple Swords Dance, eh?" Calem sports a faint smirk. "I see what he's planning."

"You figured it out too?" Hilda asks with a eager smile, folding her arms as she glances leftwards towards Calem. 

"Obviously," Calem counters. "Triple Swords Dance means something massive is coming her way.”

"Hee hee, he's planning something huuuuge!" Leaf cheerfully exclaims, extending her arms above her and moving her hands in opposite directions.

"You've got this in the bag, Valen," Rosa asserts, folding her arms and sporting a prideful smile. "She should've heeded my warning. The queen's rarely wrong."

"Use Thunder!" Jolteon howls as his body becomes enveloped by electricity. Jolteon fires off a gigantic lightning yellow beam of electricity at Golisopod. However, the arthropod‘s unconcerned about this powerful, super-effective attack, as evident by his robotic cackle.

"Playtime's over." Valen confidently smirks. "Charge in with X-Scissor." Golisopod crosses his armored arms to form a x shape. Golisopod's arms glow light blue, and he lunges straight into Jolteon's Thunder attack. At first, the arthropod slightly struggles to break through, but he's eventually successful. The Thunder attack is pushed backwards as Golisopod lunges directly at Jolteon, striking the quadruped in the face.

"S-Seriously?!" Serena yelps, her eyes widening. "Why do you have to be so strong?!"

“Liquidation.” Golisopod cackles as a sword made of water forms within his right hand. Like a knight charging into battle, Golisopod lunges at Jolteon as fast as he can.

“J-Jolteon, Agility!” Serena frantically shouts.

“Not this time, Serena.” Valen's Golisopod rapidly swings his sword in a sideways motion, striking Jolteon just under his head. As Jolteon lets out a loud yelp, the water sword goes through the quadruped's entire body. Golisopod lands in a bent position cackling as a defeated Jolteon crashes into the ground.

"Jolteon!" Serena cries out.

"Nice work, Golisopod," Valen compliments as he walks up to his Pokémon. Valen and his Golisopod exchange a fist bump. "That's my boy."

"Aw, I lost." Serena murmurs as she recalls her Jolteon. Then, Serena looks at Valen, sporting a broad grin. “However, I’m happy that you’re still a strong trainer!”

"Thanks, Serena." Valen and Serena walk up to each other, exchanging a fist bump as they both smile.

"Yes, he won! I knew he'd win!" Rosa's eyes glisten as she sports a broad grin. Rosa clasps her hands next to left cheek and begins to sing. "Everybody wants to be my Valeeeeey! Everybody wants to have his skills! Everybody wants to be like Valeeeeey! They can never reach the top of that hill!"

"Thanks for the victory song," Valen jokes, recalling his Golisopod. "I'd like a victory hug and kiss too."

"Roar, here I come!" Rosa charges at Valen, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him on the lips.

"Ah, much better," Valen replies, hugging Rosa back. 

"Do you get it now, Valen?" Rosa asks, kissing Valen on the lips again. "My circle of friends really do want to be your friend. They’ve already accepted you into the circle."

"R-Really?" Valen asks, raising his eyebrows. "T-They accepted me....me of all people?"

“Arthur and I can vouch for then too,” Melanie tells Valen, sporting a reassuring smile. "We've been hanging out with them. These are kind people, Valen."

Valen and Rosa let go of each other, with Valen struggling to speak. “I was...I was rude...so why-"

"Are you actually rude, or are you scared of bonds breaking after you've formed them?" Hilda asks, sporting a warm smile.

"I think it's the latter," Leaf chimes in, also sporting a warm smile.

"I agree," Calem chimes in, sporting a friendly smile. "I don't think you're rude because you want to be. I think it's because you feel that you have to be."

"Are we right, Valen?" Serena asks, sporting a soft smile.

"...You're right....I don't want to risk anymore pain...so I'm rude to avoid new bonds that could break, and to avoid old bonds breaking.” Valen bows his head and closes his eyes, feeling unable to make eye contact with anybody. “Hilda, Leaf....you...you won’t forget about me, even when you return to your home regions? You won’t...abandon me? Calem, Serena....I’m sorry for not reaching out to you. Will you...always be my friends too?”

“We may tease and roast each other, but we’ll never turn our backs on each other,” Hilda reassures, sporting a friendly smile. “The instant we accepted you into our circle was the instant that we decided we’ll always be your friends.”

“Once you're in our circle, there’s no escape,” Leaf reassures, sporting a gentle smile. “I said that I was going to become your friend, didn't I?”

“As for Serena and I, we didn’t do either of those things to begin with,” Calem points out, sporting a faint smile. “I’m still not going to turn my back on a close friend.”

“Rosa’s got a big circle of friends, and she makes sure that everybody remembers your name!” Serena exclaims, sporting a friendly smile. “As for you and me, you already know that we’ll always be friends!”

Valen re-opens his eyes and looks directly at Hilda, Leaf, Calem, and Serena. “You....you promise?” Valen asks, his eyebrows curving downwards as his eyes become watery. “No matter what...you’ll...always be my friends?”

“All four of us promise!”

Valen attempts to speak, but he’s almost at a complete loss for words. “You....you did....you accepted....me....this is surreal....I was wrong.” Valen clenches his teeth as tears began to stream down his face. All the tension within his body's evaporated. Valen wonders if this is what true friendships feel like. He's forgotten what friendship's like. Now, he feels like it's all coming back to him at once.

“Is Valen...is Valen actually crying?” Calem raises his eyebrows.

“These tears don’t look like they’re caused by sadness,” Melanie remarks, closing her eyes as she sports a proud smile. "Slowly but surely, he's starting to understand that not everybody's the same.”

"it looks like he's finally gotten the message," Hilda remarks with a soft smile, closing her eyes. "I'm glad I could help someone in need."

"I know he doesn't mind the name Mr. Meanie, but maybe I should use that nickname less," Leaf says, sporting a warm smile.

"He's a confused person, but he's on the right path," Serena says, sporting a placid smile. "I'm happy that I got to see him again."

"I was right." Rosa affectionately smiles. "The real Valen's been buried deep inside this entire time."

“Alright....I’ll try to trust everybody else as well....no matter how much I struggle with it.” Valen wipes away his tears, sporting a pleased smile.

"Take your time. We'll be waiting," Rosa reassures.

"Thanks Rosa....thank you, everyone." Valen smiles, feeling warmth throughout his body.

 _"Next step is to work on his self-worth and self-esteem issues,"_ Melanie thinks to herself. _"I feel like he's improving in that area, and I know he can triumph over those issues. We all know that he can do it."_

“Now that this is taken care of, it’s time for me to ask Hilda a question,” Leaf giggles.

“What question?” Hilda asks, blinking in confusion.

"Why are you such an absent-minded klutz?" Leaf teases, glancing at Hilda with a playful smile. "Valen needs to know this information too."

"Aieeee, don't try to get my newest friend to roast meeee!" Hilda wails.

"You can tame a Garchomp, yet you almost ran into a tree in Viridian Forest." Leaf giggles.

"H-Hey, I love battling so much that I forget things!" Hilda retorts, her face reddening in embarrassment. "I had a good battle right before that, and my Gabite evolved into Garchomp!"

"What about the time you took a wrong turn and ended up on the other side of Lumiose City?" Calem teases, faintly laughing. "I don't recall you having any battles."

"Unova Noire had just come out, and I found a deal on it within Lumiose City! The main plot's a Pokémon journey set in late 1940s Unova! How could I not be thinking about that?!" Hilda blurts out.

"You weren't battling before you ran into my room's door," Rosa giggles.

"I had just gotten Mortal Battle 9!" Hilda erupts. "Pokémon fighting games count too! You three are still salty over the fact that I kicked your butts in PvP!"

"You better hope that Valen doesn't join in on the next roasting session," Melanie chuckles. "When we were hanging out in Old Downtown, you were so distracted by the smell of pizza that you almost ran into the door.

"I-It was authentic Unovan pizza!" Hilda retorts. "That's not exactly the easiest thing to find abroad!"

"You once fell into the water outside of Fuchsia City because you were daydreaming about dressing up like Janine!" Leaf teases.

"Hey, I had a cool event idea!" Hilda counters. 

"You nearly ran into a wall in Lumiose City when you saw a Gucci store." Serena laughs. "I also swooned over The Black Reaper, but I didn't get that distracted."

"I was minding my own business and now I'm being roasted by the squad!" Hilda wails. "Valen, I could use some help here!"

"Is this normal?" Valen asks Serena.

"She makes herself an easy target," Serena laughs. "You'll see it for yourself in due time."

"....Y'all are stupid," Valen remarks, sporting a smug grin. "Hilda's got a Garchomp. Checkmate." Valen laughs as he eyes the surprised faces looking in his direction.

"Thank you, Valen." Hilda folds her arms, oozing with pride.

"Even me?!" Rosa yelps.

"Except you, Rosa." Valen pats Rosa on the head.

"Yaaaaay, now that's more like it!" Rosa grins.

"H-Hey, what about my Dragonite?!" Melanie shouts.

"I have a Tyranitar!" Leaf wails.

"This is your fault, Calem," Serena scolds, folding her arms. "I'm going to make you star in a play when I drag you to the city's Little Kalos district.

"H-How is it my fault?!" Calem screams, his eyes bulging out as he clenches his fists.

"I said so, that's why," Serena smugly replies.

* * *

As the sun vanishes from sight within the darkening sky, the loud rumble of an older car echoes throughout an almost vacant parking lot. Silver's come to this area of Angel City to meet up with Dimitri, with Kris accompanying the former. Silver parks his car in the southern portion of the parking lot, and the loud rumble of the car's engine ceases as Silver turns the car off. Silver notes that despite being so close to downtown, this area's not that packed. The traffic's very light, and only a handful of people are on the sidewalks, or entering and exiting buildings, bus stops, and so on.

Silver snaps back into focus, oozing with pride over his car. "Not a bad set of wheels, eh?" Silver remarks to Kris, his mouth curving into a cocky smirk. "There's no way I was leaving this bad boy behind."

"What car did you say this was called again? Chevrolet something?" Kris asks, sporting an embarrassed smile. "Sorry, I got caught up in a daydream about Valerie's latest designs."

"Of course you did," Silver grumbles. Then, Silver's mouth curves into a cocky smirk again, stating, "1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 454."

"What does that 454 mean?" Kris questions, blinking in confusion.

"Go big or go home." Silver cackles, his eyebrows angling downwards as he to himself with his right hand. "I can't settle for anything less than the biggest brute among old school muscle cars."

"I still don't get it, but like how it's black with white stripes!" Kris exclaims as she steps out of the Chevelle, closing the front passenger side door.

“So, this is Dimitri’s private battle arena," Silver remarks as he steps out of the Chevelle, closing the driver's side door. "It's nice that there's free public parking next to it."

"...Modernist architecture, with a number of Art Deco buildings mixed in there," Kris observes as she glances around at the mid-rise buildings that surrounds Silver and her. Kris notes the glass-brick walls and the concrete brises-soleil, or sun-breaks, that were installed to ease the fear that these buildings would be uncomfortable in hot weather. Then, Kris keenly studies the geometric shapes of the Art Deco buildings. With these buildings, Kris notes that the architects and builders finished them all in various shades of blue. Then, Kris notices the private arena's gate, eyeing the ornate pattern . "However, the ornate patters suggests that Dimitri's decided to have the gate this finished in an older style. Looks Gothic Revival to me."

"Since when do you know this stuff, and why can't you talk about it instead of fashion and shopping?" Silver annoyingly asks, biting the inside of his cheek.

"My dad's an architect, and I like fashion and shopping," Kris retorts, furrowing her eyebrows as she folds her arms. "You got a problem with that, tough guy?"

"Yes, I have a big problem with the second one," Silver grumbles.

"Too bad," Kris counters, sporting a prideful smirk. "You're stuck with me."

Silver smacks his face with his left palm. "Let's go to the arena's gate."

“Hey, is this Dimitri guy really stronger than this region's champion?” Kris asks.

“We won’t know until the two actually battle publicly," Silver remarks. Then, he notices that Dimitri's been standing near the gate. "Heh, he's waiting for us."

"Huh, how did I miss that?" Kris's mouth falls open.

"You're not as smart as you think you are.” Silver snickers as he walks towards the gate.

"H-Hey, at least I know that Neoclassical architecture was 18th and 19th century!" Kris shouts as she walks behind Silver. "I bet you don't even know anything about the 18th and 19th centuries!"

"I bet you don't even know anything about the 18th and 19th centuries," Silver mimics, still snickering.

Dimitri faintly laughs, having heard this squabble. Dimitri looks directly at the duo, asking. "Silver, I presume?”

“Yep,” Silver says, sporting a faint smirk.

“Hi there, I’m Kris!” Kris exclaims.

“Hello Kris, my name is Dimitri Liniya,” Dimitri introduces himself. “I am the President and CEO of the Liniya Corporation.”

“Thanks for helping trainers from other regions who want to come here!” Kris happily exclaims. Then, Kris' eyes sparkle upon taking a closer look at Dimitri's pearly white suit. “Ooooh, Silver should wear a fancy suit like you!”

“Absolutely. Fucking. Not.” Silver rolls his eyes, scowling in annoyance.

“Serena's got a different idea for you!” Kris giggles. "She said that your shirt and pants are soooo lame!"

Silver rolls his eyes again, turning his focus towards Dimitri. "Before we battle, I’d like to talk to you about something.”

“What do you have on your mind?” Dimitri asks.

“It’s about Valen.” Silver lets out a deep sigh. "I need to know more about his issues."

"...Very well, I shall discuss this matter with you," Dimitri replies. "Come, let us go into the arena first." Dimitri unlocks the gate, and walks into the arena. Silver and Kris follow him, both feeling a sense of uncertainty.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Revisions include extended dialogue, dialogue/text alterations, and added details.


End file.
